A serious infrastructure problem in Dollard-des-Ormeaux (DDO), in Montreal’s West Island, is forcing some residents to run their tap water around the clock all winter long.
Residents living along Baderwood Street received a letter last fall asking them to run at least one faucet in their home 24/7 during the winter months.
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It’s a letter that has been mailed out to homeowners on the quiet residential street for years.
“I don’t think letting the water run all winter long is acceptable,” David Ohana told Global News.
He’s received notice to keep his tap running for the last ten years.
City officials explained the water main that was installed on their street decades ago was built above the earth’s frost line.
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So, every year there is a risk the pipes could freeze unless water is constantly running when it’s cold out.
The Ohana family has already had their plumbing freeze.
Each time, they hired a plumber to thaw out the pipes and the city has reimbursed them.
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The family doesn’t consider running the faucet to be a good solution to the problem.
“We prey we don’t have a flood,” Connie Ohana told Global News.
The city has considered a pilot project to heat the pipes with an electrical line, but a contractor submitted a bid with costs quoted at $97,000 per household and city council rejected the plan.
Mayor Ed Janiszewski has also ruled out digging up the street and rebuilding the main water pipe below the freeze line because it would be too expensive.
“It would be mega millions. It means digging up the street, blasting and putting in a whole new sewer,” Janiszewski told Global News.
The mayor said he will consider going back to another call for public tenders to reheat the pipes with electrical wires.
Until then, families will have to keep their water running at all times during the winter.
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