Series Of Water Main Breaks Not Weather Related

There have been several water main breaks throughout Steinbach in recent days and city crews are working hard to fix them.

A section of Walnut Street was the first to spring a leak, just before Christmas. The residential road was closed down this past Thursday while crews finished the repairs they had begun over a week ago.

“The repair for Walnut got bumped back because of two other water main breaks that were more severe and took priority,” comments Mike Heppner, who adds that the leak itself was difficult to find because of the frozen ground.

“We appreciate the patience of the people on Walnut Street while we were troubleshooting the leak and at the same time trying to provide our guys with time to spend with their families over the holidays.”

Though Walnut Street has since re-opened, Heppner indicates that his crews were forced to make some cuts in the road in order to access the necessary pipes. As a result, there will be ongoing roadwork for the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, yet another water main break has occurred along McKenzie Avenue; an issue workers will only be able to address on Monday. Heppner says the leak on Mckenzie is slow and is not currently affecting any residents.

This string of water main failures has nothing to do with the cold weather that just ended nor the sudden thaw. According to Heppner, the cause of the problem is simply due to the corrosion of the copper service lines as they age over time.

Though the water problem has nothing to do with the weather, Heppner says his crews working outdoors are grateful that the freezing temperatures of last week have become much more enjoyable.