Hamilton’s largest water main ‘failing,’ shares same part seen in Calgary, Montreal bursts

Hamilton is rushing to hole a leak successful its largest h2o main that shares nan aforesaid portion seen successful 2 pipes that caused important flooding successful Calgary and Montreal aft bursting this year.

After astir a twelvemonth of testing and inspections, h2o officials received reports past week of a notably sized leak successful nan h2o main utilized to proviso nan Greenhill Reservoir successful Stoney Creek.

The leak was first identified during a regular inspection utilizing a robot, which led to months of testing to corroborate nan grade of harm and an estimation for nan repairs — astir $6.5 million.

The tube is made pinch a prestressed actual cylinder (PCCP), a portion commonly utilized successful 1970s-era construction, said Nick Winters, head of Hamilton’s h2o division.

Other PCCP h2o mains of akin property person burst successful nan past, causing extended harm arsenic seen successful Calgary successful June. City officials declared a authorities of emergency aft flooding collapsed out, and told nan nationalist to ration h2o until supplies reached a wellness level.

Winters told Global News that officials are concerned of nan pipe’s age, adding they judge it was made betwixt 1970 and 1983.

“The manufacture is seeing grounds of these pipes failing good earlier their extremity of life,” he said.

“These pipes should past 80-100 years.”

The tube utilized for nan h2o main successful Hamilton has been successful nan crushed for 52 years.

According to nan city, a building unit will beryllium moving to complete repairs arsenic soon arsenic possible. The $6.5-million repair involves sending workers into nan passageway to drain nan tube and instal a c fibre lining.

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Winters says residents will not beryllium affected during nan repairs arsenic a secondary tube is moving arsenic per usual.

“We still person a redundant tube that tin proviso residences and businesses successful these areas.” he said.

The metropolis is hoping to commencement repairs successful December and complete them earlier outpouring of adjacent year.

“We would person had concerns if we had to return this tube down erstwhile group are filing their pools, watering their lawns but during nan winter, it won’t beryllium overmuch of a problem.” Winters said.

Although nary larger concerns person been brought distant astir nan PCCP pipes, they are connected a regular schedule for inspection successful lawsuit different pipes request to beryllium replaced aliases repaired arsenic well.