The City of Prince George has had nine water main breaks since the beginning of the year, thanks to cold snap earlier this month.
City of Prince George utilities manage Dave Dyer said in two cases the actual water main cracked, while in the others the breaks happened where smaller service lines connected to the water main. Recently a water main break on 18th Avenue forced the closure of CN Centre and Exhibition Park for part of Jan. 24.
"I know we had a couple [breaks] on one day this month," Dyer said. "After the cold weather we had ... we're seeing the result with these breaks."
Areas of Prince George are particularly vulnerable to water main breaks because of a combination of geography and old installtion standards, Dyer said.
In 2009 and 2010, the city had to do 447 emergency repairs on water mains, sewers and storm drains which failed.
"One thing that's interesting is areas that are most vulnerable to frost penetration is areas with gravel soils. Most of the bowl has gravel soils," he said.
The clay soils found in other parts of the city are much more resistant to frost penetration, he said.
When frost penetrates the soil, it can cause heaving, which can break pipes, he said. In addition, if water is not moving in the pipes it can cause the pipes to freeze.
"We've, over the years, developed standards where we put the water mains much deeper than they did in the 1960s," he said. "There is not much we can do where the pipes have been installed to older standards ... but are not ready to be replaced yet. We have to live with those standards of the day."
