Water lines in Chilliwack can sometimes break or crack in winter when the ground freezes and thaws.
There were six water main breaks reported this winter, according to City of Chilliwack’s Utilities Department staff.
The water main breaks were on Hope River, Menzies, Williams, Clark and twice on Candow in Chilliwack Proper. They were no catastrophic breaks, however, and most were from cracks or thinning of pipe walls.
Chilliwack has two types of water mains, the older, more rigid type made of cast iron, and the more flexible or malleable kind, called ductile, which they started manufacturing in the 1960s.
Sometimes when a city crew repairs a water main, by digging and clamping it, it can stir up iron sediment which may have settled in the cast iron pipes. Some residents will report a slight discolouration in the water.
But it’s not a health concern, nor is the water dirty, according to city staff.
They recommend in that instance that residents run their taps for a couple of minutes to clear any iron particles that have become suspended. It’s similar to the way juice will settle, with sediment seen at the bottom.
Crews systematically conduct flushing of the water mains throughout the year as part of the City of Chilliwack’s Drinking Water Quality Assurance Program. That can cause some orange-coloured discolouration or sediment.
People have called city hall to say their water is looking cloudy or milky. That is typically a result of air getting into the pipe, said staff, creating microscopic bubbles suspended in the water, which dissipate quickly. Within about 30 seconds, the water will go clear from the bottom up.
For more information, contact the Operations department at 604-793-2810.
@CHWKjourno
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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