Bayview Avenue closed after 120-year-old water main breaks

The City of Toronto says Bayview Avenue between River Street and Labatt Avenue is closed after a water main break called for repairs.

In a tweet, the city said the repair is anticipated to last the entirety of the weekend due to the break’s proximity to gas and hydro, but city officials are hopeful the street will reopen by Monday morning.

Diala Homaidan, senior communications co-ordinator for the City of Toronto, said the water main is a 300-millimetre, 12-inch cast-iron water main that’s 120 years old.

“The broken water main is an old cast iron dating back to 1898,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The broken water main is an old cast iron dating back to 1898," she said.

“Cast iron is very durable, which is why they are still in service.”

On the City of Toronto’s website, it says the average age of a water main in Toronto is 59 years, though 11 per cent are more than 100 years old.

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It also points to reasons why a water main might break, such as corrosion or low temperatures in the winter months, which cause the soil to freeze and expand.

“North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke experience the highest break rates, as their water mains are located in predominantly acidic clay soil as opposed to sandy soil,” the website reads.

“The City experiences an average of 1,400 water main breaks annually.”