WINNIPEG – The city says this winter has been one of the worst for frozen pipes and burst water mains.
Water lines are not only freezing earlier than usual but also at a significantly higher rate.
As of Tuesday morning, there are 296 properties waiting have their water pipes thawed.
Tiana Mraovic told Global News her West Kildonan home has been without water for more than two weeks.
“I’m having to go to other places to eat and shower,” said Mraovic. “You just need water for daily life.”
The city says it’s seen the highest number of frozen pipes in more than 35 years. Officials have discovered frost as deep as two metres in the ground, roughly twice the normal depth for this time of year.
“Some houses we can hook up a machine and it can be thawed in 20 minutes,” said Tim Shanks of the city’s Water and Waste Department. “For others, it can be hours and hours. We had a commercial property that took 14 hours.”
During a typical winter, only one thawing crew is needed to address frozen water lines. However, this year, the city has three crews working seven days a week to thaw plugged pipes. Wait times are a week or more per property.
The city will cover the $305 cost for thawing services if the pipe is frozen on city property. If it’s not, it’s up to the homeowner to pay.
Around 1,000 properties that were prone to frozen pipes in the past have been advised by the city to run water. Owners won’t be charged for the added usage, the mayor said.
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