THUNDER BAY — It's been an issue for months, but you won't hear your city councillor saying much about the copper water pipe leaks that have occurred in homes all over Thunder Bay.
There's a good reason for caution.
The possibility of a lawsuit arising from the leaks has left the city's leaders wary of saying anything that might increase the city's jeopardy.
Councillor-at-large Mark Bentz says "Anytime there's potential legal action against the corporation, administration and councillors need to be consulting with legal before anything is said."
"There's nothing underhanded going on," Bentz said. "It's just a matter of 'this is the procedure.' We are investigating it, of course, and we want all residents to be treated fairly of course."
Red River councillor Brian McKinnon said he's received about a dozen calls from residents who've experienced leaks, and he's referred all of them – as councillors were instructed to do – to the city's Environment Division, which is responsible for water and sewer services.
"I think that's prudent," McKinnon said, "because we can't have 13 different stories out there...That's why we were given direction not to make any outrageous comments" about waterline leaks.
Some residents of McKinnon's Red River ward are among those who have publicly disclosed their experiences with leaks, including Ted Bobrowski, one of the homeowners whose leak occurred in the service line that runs from the street. In this kind of situation, the yard has to be dug up
Bobrowski's problems are among the worst that have come to light since stories began circulating last winter, when Thunder Bay plumbing firms reported they were being inundated with calls about pinhole leaks.
They were happening all over the city, a situation that prompted the city to discontinue the addition of sodium hydroxide to the water supply. The chemical is used in other North American cities, including Duluth, which also gets its raw water from Lake Superior.
Cause of water leaks 'inconclusive at this time'
With the province's approval, sodium hydroxide was introduced in 2018 to reduce corrosion and the leaching of toxic lead into tap water in the approximately 8,700 Thunder Bay homes with lead pipes.
No city representative has ever stated that a definitive link has been made between the use of sodium hydroxide and the dramatic increase in leaks in household copper water pipes.
Thunder Bay is the first Ontario municipality using sodium hydroxide to report this kind of problem to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.
In an interview last February, the director of the city's Environment Division, Michelle Warywoda, said "This is kind of new for us in Canada," but added that she now understood that pinhole leaks had occurred in some cities in the United States which use sodium hydroxide.
Westfort Councillor Kristen Oliver told Tbnewswatch the local investigation continues, "and it's inconclusive at this time."
Oliver added, however, that "it sounds like there's more people experiencing pinhole leaks than before the sodium hydroxide was removed."
She also noted "It seems that in some areas it might be whole subdivisions that are impacted a little bit. The houses are all typically built around the same time, so does that play a role? There's not enough information to say with 100 per cent certainty just who's responsible here."
Councillors themselves aren't immune to the problem.
Northwood councillor Shelby Ch'ng said she can't talk about the issue, or take part in any council discussions about it, because she's had leaks in her own house. Ch'ng said this forced her to declare a conflict.
One resident of Northwood said pipe leaks have been rampant on some streets there this year. "We're just on a little street here, and just about all of us have had pinhole leaks," the homeowner told Tbnewswatch in a recent interview. She said some neighbours have had leaks under their homes that required excavation.
Councillor calls the situation 'very concerning'
In the apartment building she lives in on the city's north side, councillor Rebecca Johnson said, the water pipes in over 20 of 30 units have had to be replaced.
"There's no question it seems to be increasing in numbers [around the city]...it's very concerning," Johnson said.
She said she's hearing about people in single-income households who are dealing with repair costs in the thousands of dollars "that they just can't afford."
Multiple leaks have prompted numerous homeowners to preemptively replace all their copper water lines with polyethylene lines
At Jones & Associates, an insurance brokerage, president Jeff Jones told Tbnewswatch the company has seen "a huge increase" this year in inquiries about claims and coverage for pinhole leaks "and a lot of supply line – underneath the home – leaks."
Jones said that for clients with coverage, "Most of the time the companies are covering the resulting damage, but they're not covering to actually fix the pipe itself."
He said it's the same way an insurer will handle a frozen water pipe in winter. "They'll cover the resulting damage but they don't cover the cost of the plumber coming in to replace the pipe."
Jones called the current situation "unfair and very concerning" for homeowners.
He said some insurance companies are getting increasingly concerned about the frequency of claims.
"I think they're tracking everything...I have not heard directly from legal counsel if they are looking at putting something together to go after the city, but I can't see why they wouldn't be," Jones added.
City officials have declined to answer reporters' questions about the number of leaks and the types of leaks that have been reported this year, or about the number of claims the city has received.
Warywoda has said homeowners should always watch for abnormal things on their property including unusual cold or wet spots on the basement floor, a water meter that continues to run when no faucets are open, abnormal sounds of running water or 'hissing' sounds, or sump pumps running more than usual.
Any suspected leaks should be reported immediately through the city's 24-hour dispatch line, 625-2195.
For now, Jones said, his staff is advising clients to shut their water off if they are leaving the house unattended for even a few days.
