Water discolouration may occur as crews work with water mains and disturb sediment. The discolouration is temporary and can be resolved by flushing your water lines for a minute or two.
It’s capital construction season in the City of Thompson, and contractors have started laying out temporary water hook-ups in the Deerwood area as they prepare for this year’s water and sewer renewal projects on Juniper Drive and Deerwood Drive.
The water main beneath Deerwood Drive will be replaced between it’s intersections between Beaver Crescent to Caribou Crescent, and the water main beneath Juniper Drive will be replaced between it’s intersections with Oak Street and Selkirk Avenue.
The projects will be overseen in collaboration between the City of Thompson and the Manitoba Water Services Board. On the ground, the work will be performed by contractors Accurate HD, who have considerable experience with northern and municipal projects, and have worked in Thompson in the past. Local contractors A&B Builders have been subcontracted to look after the temporary water hook-ups.
Different types of installation will have different impacts on residents
The two water mains will be replaced in two different ways based on the technical needs f the project, and the way that they’ll be installed will have different impacts on residences in the areas.
The water main on Juniper Drive will be “pushed” underground: this means that the contractors will not need to dig out a lot of ground to install it. Traffic closures and water interruptions will be short and infrequent through the project, and temporary water hook-ups will be limited to a handful of houses. It also means there will be less restoration work required after the fact.
The water main under Deerwood needs to be more traditionally excavated through a trench. That does mean that traffic will be interrupted more often, and homes will see some water disruptions, and some homes will need to be hooked up to temporary above-ground water service. It also means that contractors will address restoration work.
Installation May Temporarily Cause Discoloured Water
As crews hook up the above-ground water pipes, they may disturb some of the sediment that normally builds up in water mains and service lines, which may result in yellow discolouration: the same thing happens when our crews flush hydrants every summer.
The discolouration isn’t dangerous, but it’s not pleasant to drink, either. If you’re finding your water is discoloured, running your tap and flushing your lines for a minute or two will usually clear up the issue.
Keeping you up to date: News and Notices
When driveways are blocked or water services are interrupted, the contractor is obligated to inform residents 24-hours prior any interruptions that will last longer than 6 hours. The contractor will deliver these notices door-to-door to affected residences themselves, and will contact the City of Thompson so that we can share the information more broadly.
Along with our website and our social media pages, we’ll also be sharing notices and disruptions through Thompson Connect, sending notifications directly to either your email inbox, SMS, or landline. Sign up and choose your messaging method here: https://www.thompson.ca/p/connect.
Find More Information at Thompson.ca
We’ve created a dedicated Water and Road Renewal page at Thompson.ca where you can find all of the project overviews, FAQ’s, and up-to-date notices regarding construction this summer. You can find it at Thompson.ca > Services > Water and Road Renewal, or under the Quick Links on our front page!
Projects Funded through Investing In Canada’s Infrastructure Program
This year’s capital water and sewer renewal is funded through the Investing in Canada’s Infrastructure Program (ICIP), which will $48 million in federal, provincial, and municipal funding invested in Thompson’s water and sewer infrastructure over the next five years.
The Northerner 