On the first weekend in September this area of watermain pipe
in Millbrook broke down twice in two days with service restored within 12 hours and a boil water restriction lifted on Sunday evening.
Millbrook residents woke up to extremely low water pressure on the morning of September 5th.
Word quickly spread that the entire system was struggling due to a water main rupture at the end of Dufferin Street beside the Old Millbrook School. Municipal staff along with the Mayor reached out to the community through social media, radio, television, municipal signage and website and posters in the street advising residents about the problem and warning that because of the rupture, the water flowing through the pipes was likely contaminated. By late Thurs-day afternoon, the pipe repair was completed and water pressure was restored with a boil-water advisory in place due to the potential water contamination resulting from the pipe rupture. Friday morning felt like a re-run of the movie Groundhog Day as residents found themselves without water pressure again as a new rupture had appeared earlier that morning. This, too, was repaired that day and this time the repair held.
Director of Public Works Wayne Hancock outlined the scenario from the municipal staff vantage point with the following report: “On Thursday September 4th at approximately 2:30 a.m., staff at the Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant responded to an alarm notifying them of a potential watermain issue. A break was discovered on Dufferin Street at approximately 5:30 a.m., but the size and severity were difficult to deter-mine due to darkness, rain and a partially wooded terrain. In accordance with the Municipal Emergency Response Plan, management immediately convened the Emergency Response Team and established an Incident Command Centre at the Municipal Office. Lakelands Public Health and the Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks were both notified. Lakelands Public Health issued a Boil Water Order to the Township. Residents were advised of both the break and the order via the Township website, social media, local radio stations, television station and physical signage. Staff restored the system at about 5:30 p.m. but the boil water order remained in place.
On Friday September5th at about 5:00 a.m., a second break occurred in close proximity to the Dufferin Street break. Staff restored the system at about 4:30 p.m. The boil water order was lifted Sunday September 7th at about 6:30 p.m. after the required two sets of samples collected 24-48hours apart tested negative for any evidence of contamination. Council approved the replacement of the Dufferin Street water main at the September 15th meeting. Works are expected to commence in late fall of this year.”
The watermains in Millbrook were originally installed in 1975-6, so they are roughly50 years old. And approaching the end of their life expectancy. The municipality had established a replacement schedule over the next ten years but Council has asked staff to develop a schedule that shortens this horizon to five years. According to Hancock, a new capital program that replaces all of the old watermains in five years will be presented to Council in the coming weeks. This expedited capital expenditure will have no impact on the tax levy as these expenses are borne by the water system users. When the new water storage facility is established, there will be a back-up system that would provide an alternative water distribution network should one of them fail. For details on this new storage facility, see p 3.