WINNIPEG – The city will send firefighters to bring free jugs of water to those who need them because of frozen pipes, Winnipeg’s mayor announced Thursday.
Paramedics will also be dispatched to check on the health of residents whose taps have run dry since their pipes froze, in some cases weeks ago.
The latest information shows 722 Winnipeg properties are on a waiting list for crews to come thaw pipes and resume water service. The city has only three machines capable of doing the work and homeowners and businesses have been warned they may have to wait for weeks. Almost 600 other properties have been warned to keep their water running to avoid pipes freezing.
The mayor mused Wednesday about paying residents without water to stay in hotels. The move to use firefighters to deliver water instead came as a surprise Thursday.
“Citizens who identify as needing assistance with potable water will be directly connected to the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) Communications Centre” the city said in a news release. “Operators at the WFPS Communications Centre will take relevant information and schedule delivery of water by WFPS. Water deliveries to those in need will be scheduled to ensure there is no interruption to emergency response services.”
The water will be delivered in reusable 20-litre (five-gallon) jugs.
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“Upon delivery of water by WFPS, a Paramedic will determine if loss of water is causing any public health issues,” the city says.
Dozens of affected homes have also had partial water service restored by hooking a hose up to outdoor faucets on a neighbour’s house. The city promised Thursday to devote more staff to installing hoses and “facilitating the required paperwork from the supplying property (neighbours).”
To better accommodate new cases of frozen pipes cases during the coming weeks, the City has implemented a streamlined process for assisting property owners. When citizens with frozen pipes call 311, Customer Service Representatives will ask callers about their potable water needs, provide locations of complimentary showers, and advise citizens regarding how to receive a temporary water supply installed from an adjacent property.
On Monday the city offered free access to showers at city-owned indoor pools and the Fort Rouge Leisure Centre for people without water due to frozen pipes.
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