Pipe nightmares
Spring can’t come soon enough for city’s water department
 | - News on the Net Sunday, March 13, 2011 | Print friendly | Email Us |
By Paul Terefenko, National Post
Hate to break it to you, but it’s been a very bad winter for those who live in fear of water mains bursting. The unpleasantly long, cold winter and its recent roller coaster of warm-then-cool temperatures has caused pipes below the surface to crack under pressure at a high rate this winter.
“Last year, from Jan. 1 to March 6, we had a total of just over 500 water main breaks. This year, we had about 750,” explains Mario Crognale, director of district operations for Toronto Water.
The 50% increase is largely due to this year’s awful winter. “It’s been much harsher and much colder,” Crognale explains. The frost has also penetrated deeper and put further pressures on already weak pipes.