Winter rough on watermains
Bitter cold results in worst failure rate for mains in 30 to 40 years
It’s been a rough winter. But City works crews have almost caught up with a rash of watermain breaks reported over recent months. With frost settling further down week by week, officials say even some of the newer water lines were at risk.
“We had upwards of 40 breaks in two months,” says water distribution system manager Adam Campbell.
“It probably was the worst failure rate in three or four decades.”
Lethbridge usually designates four water utility crews to handle those emergencies. But this year, Campbell says, it became apparent that wasn’t enough. Soon, six crews were in place. But the calls kept coming in, and workers didn’t always have the time to backfill an excavated area after making repairs, before rushing to the next trouble spot.
That’s why residents may have seen excavation contractors on the job, replacing the gravel and soil while City employees were dealing with yet another fracture.
“Now we’re on the cusp of having almost all the restoration work done,” Campbell reports.
The longest — and one of the most obvious — trouble spot was 2 Avenue North, just across from Canadian Tire. It’s a narrow street, with old pipes.
“Just when we thought we had it fixed, it broke again,” he says.
Crews were reassigned to other locations.
While the extended road closure affected commuters and Lethbridge Transit, Campbell says it didn’t disrupt service to water customers. Some of the other breaks, in various residential areas, impacted a number of families.
If there’s a positive spin on the prolonged battle against the elements, Campbell says the volume of breaks gave officials many opportunities for analysis. While some appear related to aging infrastructure, there could be other factors to consider.
How new water lines are installed today, he explains, may have changed significantly from 75 or 80 years ago. In some areas of the city, those pipes are older still.
With spring finally here, Campbell says crews will soon have access to plenty of “hot mix” asphalt, for permanent repairs after excavated areas are restored. In winter, they rely on a “cold mix” product with a limited lifespan — maybe 40 to 50 days before it’s gone. “The asphalt plant is opening Monday.” Follow @DMabellHerald on Twitter