City Experiences Water Main Breaks

As reported to CBC by Chris Zettel

Corporate Communications Officer
City of Cranbrook

The fact that Public Works needs to repair 5 water main breaks in one day appears to be a bizarre occurrence to most people, but considering the age of the City’s infrastructure overall, our Public Works staff tell me it is not all that strange. The fact that the leaks occurred after a period of quite cold weather giving way to much warmer conditions is really just a fluke.

Three of the breaks are actual water mains, out under the street; two of the leaks are in fact service lines into individual properties and both are suspected to have been occurring for some time.    In fact is it is a much more common occurrence in the wintertime, because if a service line to a home leaks then, the water will bubble to the surface faster due to ground frost and the water has nowhere to go but up.   In the summer with no frost to contend with the service line to a home can leak all summer and no one would know.

In 2012, the City commissioned an Asset Management Investment Plan to look at costs around replacing our entire infrastructure (water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, road infrastructure).  The report places the total cost at about $463.5 million.  (This figure is likely overinflated because it takes into consideration the need to replace all the Pressure Reducing Stations (PRV’s) around the City and to completely replace the dam at the Phillips Reservoir which provides all the potable water the municipality needs).  That means the City of Cranbrook’s  overall infrastructure has decreased in value by $271.8 million, which mean the estimated cost just to bring our infrastructure up to where standards should be today, would be about $191.6 million.  

Cranbrook is not unique in its challenges in dealing with infrastructure deficiencies.  It is very common knowledge that every municipality across North America is dealing with failing infrastructure – some are in a much worse situation than Cranbrook – some are much better.   The biggest challenge is finding the necessary funding to deal with the issue – and that is something every level of government is trying to come to terms with.