REGINA – Most of Saskatchewan is in a deep freeze this week, but there hasn’t been the usual string of broken water pipes around the city of Regina.
There have been just six water main breaks since November 1, 2014, according to the city of Regina – compared to more than 20 during the same stretch last year and 37 during the final two months of 2012.
“Winter so far has been milder than last year,” said John Ullrich, the city’s manager of water and sewer construction. “Frost is only about two-and-a-half feet deep and last year it was (four feet deep) at this time.”
On Tuesday, City of Regina crews were working to repair a ruptured ground pipe on Latta Street in Hillsdale. It was the only active water main break, the city said.
“If we get two or three weeks of consistent cold, the frost will drop faster and deeper. That adds pressure to the pipes.”
A frigid February and March of 2014 resulted in some pipes gushing water for weeks as the city tried to prioritize as many as 50 broken lines at one time.
Ullrich said snow cover acts as ground insulation, so frost can’t penetrate the ground as quickly or as deep.
December temperatures in Regina were warmer than the seasonal average and even as most people feel the winter chill, there haven’t been long stretches of minus 20 degree weather compared to past years.
WATCH BELOW: An unusual amount of pipes burst in Regina in early 2014 due to extreme cold
Water main breaks typically occur during extreme weather changes, which cause the ground to swell or contract and weaken underground water pipes.
“If it’s cold or only two or three days, it’s not too bad. If we get two or three weeks of consistent cold, the frost will drop faster and deeper. That adds pressure to the pipes,” Ullrich said.
There were 183 water main breaks in 2014, compared to 207 in 2013. The most breaks in the past six years occurred in 2012 when Regina had 306.
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