Province now investigating Winnipeg pipe leak, thousands told to cut water use
CTV
A sewage saga continues in Winnipeg, as 90,000 residents are being asked to cut down on their water use while the city battles a pipe leak that has spewed over 200-million-litres of untreated sewage into the Red River.
A sewage saga continues in Winnipeg, as 90,000 residents are being asked to cut down on their water use while the city battles a pipe leak that has spewed over 200-million-litres of untreated sewage into the Red River.
The plea to conserve comes as city crews hurry to resolve the issue at the Fort Garry Bridge, where the installation of a temporary bypass system has caused a myriad of headaches over the last two weeks and prompted an investigation from the province.
The system was brought in to stand in for the permanent pipes that are in the process of being replaced. They direct sewage from the southwest part of Winnipeg to the South End Sewage Treatment Plant. While the bypass has technically been running since Saturday, it is not fully complete yet.
Two pumps are needed, but one of the pumps is still undergoing tests off-site.
The lone pipe is not keeping up with demand during peak hours, said Tim Shanks, director of the city’s waste and water department. So about 90,000 residents in the St. Norbert, Fort Richmond, Richmond West, Waverley West, Bridgwater, Linden Woods, Linden Ridge, Whyte Ridge, Waverley Heights and the University of Manitoba areas are being asked to take steps to reduce water use.
“If there are things that our customers can do - delay laundry day a few days, only run a full load of dishes in the dishwasher, take a shorter shower - that sort of thing,” Shanks said at a news conference on Wednesday.
“Anything you can do to reduce that water coming through your house and going down the drain will help us on the other end.”
