Winnipeg's water main renewal wrapping up; pipes from the 1900s among those replaced
Another year is almost in the books for the city for replacing water mains throughout Winnipeg.
Every year, crews go throughout Winnipeg replacing these water mains as part of the Water Main Renewal Program.
"Every year we have capital investment in infrastructure renewal, so we invest money in our water main every year to repair the ones that are no longer meeting the level of service," said Cynthia Wiebe, who is the manager of engineering services for the city.
She added the main goal of the replacement is to maintain the level of service for Winnipeggers.
The replacement cycle usually runs from May to October every year, and in 2021, the city replaced pipes that have been in the ground between 1900 and 1980.
Wiebe said even though some of the pipes were extremely old, the city doesn't replace them based on their age.
"It's all based on the risk to (the) level of service. So our risk is the probability we are going to have a water main failure times the consequence. So probability, we base it on main breaks."
She added the older pipes are made out of cast iron and are extremely thick, so they can last a long time.
Once the pipes need replacement, Wiebe said the city replaces them with the new PVC pipes.
For projects in the future, Wiebe said homes will be hooked up to a temporary water supply while the pipe is being replaced, so that there is no service disruption.
"In terms of construction, we do work very closely with Public Works, and we try to take a very holistic, right of way asset management approach."
She said there are traffic impacts when these pipes are replaced, but the city tries to minimize that impact as much as possible.
The 2021 budget was set at $18 million and the 2022 plan is being developed, with the city saying a final budget will be approved by council.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.