THUNDER BAY -- Some north-side residents may notice dirty water for the next few days as crews work to repair a leaky main.
David Warwick, superintendent for water distribution and wastewater collection for the City of Thunder Bay, said the leak was discovered last week in a large 900 mm water transmission main near the Bare Point Water Treatment Plant.
Until it's fixed, residents may see some discoloured or dirty water.
“They may notice slightly discoloured water. It's not a concern. The water is still safe,” he said.
Residents who notice dirty water will just need to run their cold water tap to flush the dirty water out of their system, according to Warwick - who advised residents to not open any hot water taps until the system is flushed.
“Not until the water runs clear,” he said. “Once the cold-water tap runs clear, then you can turn on your hot-water tap and run that until it's clear.”
Most residents that are expected to be affected reside in the current river area, but the discoloured or dirty water could spread out further in the north side of the city.
Warwick said that crews could possibly be done with the work by the end of the week depending on when the cause of the leak is found.
“We're not sure exactly what caused the leak yet, our crews are excavating the leak and de-watering the hole right now,” he said.
“We should know by the end of the day what we need to do to repair it, so once we figure out exactly what's wrong, we'll set up a plan for the repair, and then we'll have a plan for getting the main back into service.”
