Water pooling on St. Vital street a safety concern, resident says

Water is seen pooling on Avalon Road in Winnipeg in April 2022. (Submitted)

Snow clearing in St. Vital has led to some problems for residents after water began to pool on the sidewalk and front lawns.

Wayne, who lives on Avalon Road said city crews were out on Thursday clearing ditches of snow to allow the water to run.

"Except the water can't go anywhere because the culverts are still frozen, so it started backing up into my neighbour's yards about three to four houses down the way all in a row," he told CTV News. "It looked like almost like a bit of a river instead of a sidewalk."

The result is a large pool of water covering the sidewalk and sopping up onto his neighbour's lawns.

Wayne said he is concerned as the water has made the sidewalks impassable, meaning people now have to walk on the road.

"We got kids that go down the street every day that go to school and come go home from school and it's concerning," he said.

A spokesperson for the city told CTV News a rubber-tired excavator is working in the area to clear remaining snow, ice or debris, and well a steaming crew will be thawing any frozen culverts and drains until the water is flowing as conditions permit in the coming days.

They said residents can report any frozen curb inlets, catch basins or culverts to 311 online.