Some Winnipeg drivers, passengers still shook up after water main break

When Tim Solleveld got on the D10 bus on Winnipeg’s Henderson Highway on Friday afternoon, he was expecting nothing but a normal ride.

That quickly changed after his bus pulled off Chief Peguis Trail and onto Main Street, around 15 minutes after a water main break in front of the new North End Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Water quickly began filling the bus. Passengers estimated around two and a half feet of water at its worst.

“A lot of people were starting to panic, afraid they were going to get wet, but nobody tried to get off, just scared to see it,”  explained Solleveld. “We had to keep going. If we stopped, I don’t think we would’ve been able to start again.”

The break happened around 3 p.m. Friday after crews working on underground piping for the new treatment plant accidentally damaged the water main. The city is eyeing a 2032 completion date for the project, which most recently was estimated to cost $3-billion.

City officials immediately began working to remedy the issue and keep people safe, but one city councillor believes the number of vehicles damaged could have been lower.

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It took about an hour and a half for the city to close the impacted stretch of Main Street, which North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty said is unacceptable.

“Sounds like they didn’t close the roadway off entirely until 4:30, not good enough in my mind. They should have had that done earlier,” said Browaty. “Lots of credit for the work that happened Friday evening, they got the street reopened by 10:30 p.m., but again, there should’ve been better co-ordination from services to get the road closed.”

By the end of Sunday, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) had 19 physical damage claims reported in relation to the water main break, a number the Crown corporation expects to rise.

Public relations lead Tara Seel says claims will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and that coverage should apply if there are no signs of “intentional damage.”

“This was an event out of people’s control. In some cases, people weren’t able to turn around, they weren’t able to make maneuvers because of traffic, those kinds of things.”

MPI is asking anyone who had water enter their vehicle to take it for professional mould remediation as soon as possible. Owners are responsible for ensuring mould does not form, and if it occurs as a result of water exposure, it will not be covered under basic insurance.