THUNDER BAY — St. Joseph's Care Group is suing the City of Thunder Bay for $350,000 in compensation for costs incurred as a result of pinhole leaks in copper water pipes.
SJCG says the leaks occurred in dozens of units of the PR Cook apartment building at St. Joseph's Heritage on Carrie Street.
A person who works in the Heritage complex told Tbnewswatch the situation in the building has been "a nightmare."
The apartment building is a rent-geared-to-income supportive housing facility for people over 60 or with disabilities.
News of the St. Joseph's Care Group lawsuit comes two days after a Toronto law firm announced it had launched a $350 million class action suit on behalf of potentially thousands of homeowners who have experienced pinhole leaks in their household water pipes or service lines.
It's alleged the leaks are connected to the addition of sodium hydroxide to the municipal water system, a practice the city abandoned earlier this year after receiving reports that pinholes were developing with increasing frequency.
According to St. Joseph Care Group's statement of claim, the city was negligent in failing to adequately test whether sodium hydroxide would cause damage, in failing to inspect and monitor water pipes after the chemical was added, and failing to take preventative measures to avoid pinhole leaks.
The statement says the first pinhole leak in the PR Cook complex developed in a first-floor apartment in April 2018.
Prior to this, the statement says, there had been no pinhole leaks in any copper piping in the facility.
The problem got severely worse in 2019, when 46 apartments, the residents' lounge and the parking garage were all damaged by water leaks between April and December of that year.
From January 2020 to date, 53 units in the building suffered damage, "with additional rooms continually being affected on a weekly basis," the claim alleges.
SJCG hired the engineering firm Stantec to investigate, and was advised the likely cause of the pinhole leaks was the addition of sodium hydroxide to the city's water supply.
Tests on the water at PR Cook by an independent third party also suggested "the water is highly corrosive, which would explain the pinholes."
The statement of claim alleges that SJCG at one point contacted city officials about the leaks, but "Rather than work with the plaintiff to remedy the issue, a representative of the defendant stated that he had been advised not to speak about the pinhole leak issue and was to refer the plaintiff directly to the defendant's legal counsel."
St. Joseph's Care Group says its repair costs to date total $125,000, but that the apartment building will require additional repairs as well.
None of the claims have been proven in court.
Out of concern over potential legal action against the city, municipal officials and members of council have said little about the pinhole leak issue since it came to light last January.
When the class action suit was announced Tuesday, City Manager Norm Gale said he was unable to comment.
