City takes week to repair water leak

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This article was published 07/02/2022 (1506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They were stuck in more than just a rut.

Residents of a street in River Park South were beyond irritated after the city took nearly a week to fix a water main break that turned the road into an icy mess.

A water main on Fulton Street near Hochman Avenue burst on Jan. 31 and water flooded much of the street. It turned to slush and eventually froze. A week later, a vehicle was still stuck in the mess, its wheels coated with ice and snow.

Fulton Street homeowner Kent Bulloch, 53, said two blocks of the street were barely passable, with as much as a foot of ice.

“People were getting stuck,” he said. “It’s been a frustrating week.”

The city sent a team on the first day, Bulloch said, but crews didn’t stop the flow of water.

The city said policy in that case was just to reduce the flow of water.

“If a water main break is not endangering people or property, crews may place the main on reduced flow so repair crews can attend to more critical breaks,” a city spokesperson noted. “The water main at this location (was) on reduced flow.”

Residents, including Bulloch, made repeated calls to 311 to have the street cleaned, but the plows didn’t show up until Wednesday.

“The water was still flowing so the very next day it was all plugged up again and away we went again,” he said, adding plows and water and waste crews returned Saturday and Sunday.

“They finally fixed it, I think,” he said. “At least it’s not flowing onto the street anymore.”

He said it seemed as if the city didn’t care.

“I know the neighbours sent an email to our city councillor (Markus) Chambers,” Bulloch said. “I get it, it’s cold, we’re not the only ones in the neighbourhood… but really, a week?”

He noted a neighbour in his 80s was temporarily stuck, unable to leave his driveway because of the ice buildup.

Two city water and waste trucks were on the scene Monday. Massive windrows of ice remained on the street.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca