Everything you need to know about watermain breaks!

Watermain breaks are more common in the winter. Whether you’ve experienced one before or not, it’s important to stay in the know in case one occurs in your neighbourhood. Take a moment to learn why watermains break, how to prepare in advance and what the City of Vaughan is doing to help prevent them.

Why do watermains break?

When the temperature outside drops, watermains – underground pipes that deliver safe and clean drinking water to Vaughan residents and businesses – can be more susceptible to breaks. Low temperatures can cause soil to freeze and expand, resulting in frost and added pressure on the pipes, which can cause them to break. 

Other causes include:

• corrosion over time on the outside surface of pipes, weakening them. 
• small leaks, which gradually wear away the soil around watermains, potentially causing them to collapse.
• the age of the pipes, as older watermains are more susceptible to breaks.

What should I do if I see a watermain break?

If you see water ponding or flooding on roads or sidewalks that’s unlikely to be caused by rain or snow, seasonal thawing or blocked catch basins, it may be due to a watermain break. Please report it to the City immediately by phone at 905-832-2281 and provide the exact location and any other details you know.

How can I prepare for a watermain break?

If a watermain breaks, City staff will do everything they can to minimize the impact on your water supply. Sometimes, while repairs are underway, your water pressure may dip, or your water supply may need to be temporarily shut off. In the event of your water being temporarily shut off, City staff will go door-to-door to notify all affected residents. If you are not home, staff will leave a notice on your door. Always be prepared for this by keeping jugs or bottles of water on hand for drinking and cooking at all times, especially in the winter.

What is the City doing to prevent watermain breaks?

The City continues to use innovative initiatives to help prevent watermain breaks – such as the Smart Hydrant project. Smart Hydrants have real-time system monitoring, data storage and analytics to identify potential leaks within pipes and their locations. They send alerts to operations staff for follow-up actions in the field. Ultimately, this technology allows for proactive approaches to address watermain breaks in areas near Smart Hydrants and has helped determine why residents may experience a drop in water pressure. 

Here are many other benefits of Smart Hydrants:

• Lower operating costs – fewer watermain breaks reduce costly emergency repairs.
• Less water loss – fewer watermain breaks and leaks lead to less water loss.
• Improvement in water services – fewer watermain breaks lead to fewer emergency shutdowns and minimize interruptions to water services. 

Another way the City helps prevent watermain breaks is through a Watermain Replacement Program. Through this program, City staff oversee replacing existing iron watermains with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ones. Ageing iron watermains tend to be more prone to failures due to corrosion, so PVC watermains improve overall performance and reduce breaks and related disruptions.

City staff also perform routine and proactive maintenance on watermains to improve pressure and flow. This work ensures the City’s continued commitment to high-quality service delivery and keeping our water infrastructure strong and long-lasting. 

To learn more about the City’s water services, visit vaughan.ca/water.

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