Stay in the know about watermain breaks

What’s a watermain break and how do they happen? Whether you’ve experienced one before or not, it’s important to be informed in case one occurs in your neighbourhood. 
 

The City of Vaughan is sharing information on why watermains break, how to prepare in advance and what we’re doing to help prevent them.

Why 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. That’s why watermain breaks are more common in the winter – because 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 to do if you see a watermain break

If you see water ponding or flooding on roads or sidewalks that is unlikely to be caused by wet weather, 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 to prepare in case of 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 case this happens, be prepared by keeping jugs or bottles of water on hand at all times for drinking and cooking.

What the City is doing to prevent watermain breaks

The City continues to use innovative initiatives to help prevent watermain breaks – such as the Smart Hydrant pilot 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 lead to a reduction in 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 superior service delivery and keeps the water infrastructure strong to extend its lifespan. 

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

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