What you need to know if a watermain breaks this winter

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. The City of Vaughan is sharing all you need to know about watermain breaks, what to expect if one occurs and what we’re doing to prevent them!

Why watermains break

Watermain breaks are typically more common in the winter months. 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.
• older watermains, which 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

When a watermain breaks, City staff 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 extra 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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