CARMANGAY, Alta.- Most residents of the village of Carmangay can drink their water again but residents on some streets remain under a boil water advisory.
Now, local officials are hoping to quickly finish the necessary maintenance to solve the community’s water issues.
There are three different areas in the village where leaky pipes have been causing headaches for public works and administration.
Heather O’Halloran, the chief administrative officer for Carmangay, said the repairs needed were fairly extensive.
“It ended up being a substantial excavation,” O’Halloran said. “We ended up having to replace some parts of the water line and a part of the sewer line.”
After high water consumption levels appeared Monday, village officials noticed they had a leak on one of the main lines.
“They replaced the valves and when they hooked it back up the next day, we had another leak which was just west of where the original one was,” said Kym Nichols, the mayor of Carmangay.
On Tuesday, the two leaks became three. Nichols said turning the main water on and off put stress on the whole system.
“It causes a hammer affect when they recharge the line,” said Nichols. “So because of the aging infrastructure, the weak points is what we are finding where the next break occurs.”
The mayor also said the water leaks are more than just a frustration for residents, they also add a financial strain on the village.
“You always account for a little bit in your budget but you definitely don’t count on three in a week or less,” said Nichols. “If we go back on past experience, usually, the cost to repair is around $8,000 dollars a leak. So for three of them, it adds up pretty quick on a budget where our overall budget is less than half a million (dollars).”
The village says it is hopeful the problem areas are under control and hoping the mild weather holds until all the repairs are complete.
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