Cold conditions and a pair of water main breaks are reasons why the City of Prince George has decided to temporarily shut down its snow and ice control operations.
A 64-year-old water main burst downtown this morning (Jan. 15), which the City believes was caused by the extremely cold conditions, and yesterday (Jan. 14), a 28-year-old water main broke in College Heights, which is believed to not have been caused by the weather.
Temperatures are also dropping between -30 C and -40 C are posing risks to City equipment and fleet units for snow-clearing operations, so crews are getting a 24-hour break.
Today, a large 15cm-wide main burst on Sixth Avenue between Winnipeg and Vancouver Streets, initially installed in 1956 at a shallow depth.
“City crews have reduced the water flowing in the main, which has resulted in a reduced, but not completely stopped water flow, to buildings in the area,” says a news release.
“The City also anticipates that it will take extra time to repair the main and return water service to full capacity due to the extremely cold temperatures.”
On Tuesday, the main break in College Heights occurred on Southridge Avenue between St. Anne and St. Lawrence, installed in 1992, resulting in reduced water service to several homes in the area.
The City says the cold weather didn’t cause the damage to this particular water main as it was built “well below the frost line underground.”
“However, the extreme cold is negatively affecting the City’s ability to conduct operations to fix the main, restore service, and meet timelines,” the City adds.
“The operation will be undertaken as soon as possible, but could be completed as late as the end of the day on Thursday, when the temperature is forecasted to rise.”
Prince George crews are working to restore full water service to the affected areas at this time and thank local residents for their patience.
