Week long stretch of extreme cold leads to pipe bursts, infrastructure issues in Regina

Bursting water lines became the norm for several days while Regina experienced an extended stretch of extreme cold weather.

Pipe bursts at the Delta Hotel, University of Regina (U of R), Al Ritchie Arena, Transit Operations and City Hall were just some of the reported issues due to the cold – with wind chill values reported at -45 C to -55 C during the cold stretch.

“Beyond that, we had numerous heating issues across our various facilities. City of Regina facilities staff were dispatched to assess and repair the issues,” a statement from the city read.

“The full extent of the damage is not known at this point, but all damage appears to be minor.”

The pipe burst at city hall closed the building to staff and the public for a day. Around the same time, a broken line at the U of R’s Riddell Centre saw water enter classrooms and lab spaces primarily used by the Faculty of Media, Art and Performance.

The university said it minimized disruption to classes through relocating and rescheduling.

“Our crews have been hard at work cleaning up, assessing damage, and getting us back to regular operations as soon as possible,” a U of R spokesperson told CTV News. “The elevator was inspected and is back in service as is the Riddell parkade.”

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts from across Saskatchewan sent to your device

In terms of homeowners of having trouble keeping warm – maintenance and repair services worked around the clock to keep up with demand.

Regina Plumbing and Heating told CTV News they were at peak volume for nearly a full week.

“We've been going from 7 or 8 in the morning till midnight or 2 in the morning. Same kind of crew of guys doing all this work. So, they're putting in a lot of time. They're kind of the heroes out there right now,” Service Manager Jason Raymer said.

Raymer said managers who aren't normally out in the field were going out on calls due to demand, including himself.

Concerning commuters, CAA Saskatchewan said they experienced a run of “Code Red” days during the cold snap, meaning everyone in the provincial wide company was called out and working.

“Roughly about 4,000 calls have come in … we would definitely say that battery boosts and tows are definitely the primary number of calls that we've received for service,” spokesperson Christine Niemczyk explained.

Niemczyk said the last time CAA had a similar volume of calls was last February – over the entire month.

In response to the stretch of extremely frigid conditions, the city shared some advice to help homeowners avoid freezing their own plumbing and to protect against carbon monoxide.

The city recommends ensuring areas of your home containing water pipes are heated to prevent freezing.

“Ensure the area where pipes are near exterior walls and the area near your water meter does not fall below 5 C,” the city outlined in its announcement.

Residents should set their thermostats no lower than 12 C at night or when away from home.

Another way to ensure pipes do not freeze is to open kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate.

In the event of a pipe burst, the water shut-off valve should be accessed immediately.

“If leaving your home for longer than a 24-hour period, turn off the water at the main shut-off valve and open the taps to drain the water from your plumbing lines,” the city said.

“Have someone check your home daily to ensure the heat is working.”

With furnaces and heating appliances working overtime, chimneys and vents are liable to build up frost and increase the risk of carbon monoxide accumulating in your home.

“CO detectors are the most effective, low-cost, early-warning device available to alert you to the presence of CO in your home,” the city said. “CO detectors should be located on each level of your home and within five meters of sleeping rooms.”

--With files from Mick Favel.