SHERBROOKE — Water service was restored Feb. 3 after a four-day disruption caused by multiple leaks in Sherbrooke’s water main system, affecting about 40 residents, businesses and the local hospital during a weekend snowstorm.
Located on Hospital Rd., St. Mary’s Memorial Hospital, including its emergency department, was temporarily closed because of the outage.
When the break in the community’s water main system occurred, the hospital experienced periods without running water, said Andrew Heighton, Nova Scotia Health (NSH) director of integrated health for the Eastern Zone. “However,” he noted, “the incredible staff at the hospital, as always, were able to mitigate the issue, doing what they could.”
When water was available, staff filled buckets so water would be available when it was shut off intermittently, allowing bathrooms to remain functional and staff to wash their hands, continuing to do so for a period of 24 to 48 hours.
When the municipality realized the replacement of the pipe was necessary and that water would be shut off for an extended period, the hospital –with an in-patient capacity of between six and eight beds – relocated patients admitted at the St. Mary’s site to the hospital in Guysborough, while also sending some patients home.
“This move was forefront for patient safety,” Heighton said, considering the hospital’s inability to keep bathrooms operating and maintain infection control.
He added the water issue also led to the short closure of the emergency department on Feb. 3, between 2:15 and 7 p.m., while work was being done to restore water to the hospital site. “When the water came back on, the ER was reopened that same night,” Heighton explained.
He said the importance of the community being able to access emergency care, and having staff available for the community, “was at the forefront.”
With all inpatients gone, staff remained on site at St. Mary’s Memorial Hospital to ensure there was someone there in case of an emergency. “Hospital staff mitigated the issue for the majority of the infrastructure issue,” Heighton said, “except for a period of five hours on Feb. 3; however, even during that time staff were onsite and available, in case something did happen and someone who was unaware of the ER closure showed up.”
Heighton said cooperation and communication between the hospital, the municipality, the chief administrative officer and the public works department were critical. “It was great cooperation and great teamwork, and all hospital staff is to be commended for their dependability and their dedication,” he said.
He said being able to understand what was happening, plan accordingly and keep patient safety front and centre made it possible to mitigate the situation.
“Knowing the timelines and what the expectations were,” Heighton said, “it was a great cooperation there.”
District of St. Mary’s Warden James Fuller said what initially appeared to be a manageable leak quickly escalated after a second leak was identified.
“After the extremely cold weather of the previous week, a leak was identified (on Jan. 30) and repaired with the minimal downtime for customers,” Fuller said in an email interview with The Journal. He noted a further leak was identified overnight.
Fuller said the municipality’s water treatment facility provides the first indication of a system leak. New leak detection equipment purchased this winter was used to help locate the source. “If excessive flow is observed, that is an indicator of leaks on the system,” Fuller said.
He explained that when a leak is detected, zones within the distribution system are isolated using street valves, a process that takes time. Staff then inspect service lines and the main line to pinpoint the exact location.
“Leaks are detected using acoustic leak detection gear, which is more challenging when the ground is frozen with locked-in moisture in the ground,” Fuller said, “making it more difficult to filter out noise.”
One leak required specialty fittings. “With the assistance of local contractors, the water pipes in the location of the leak were dug up and repaired by public works staff (on Feb. 1),” Fuller said.
A contractor was contacted Monday (Feb. 2) and completed a temporary repair Tuesday (Feb. 3), restoring service. Fuller said repair time was compounded by multiple leaks and a snowstorm that affected travel and access to parts.
Among those affected was Beanie’s Bistro on Main St.
“We had to close because we can’t operate without water,” said owner Tammie Vautour. “Coming right after a storm closure the day before, it meant losing two consecutive days of sales. For a small business, especially at the slowest time of year, even brief disruptions can have a real financial impact.”
Noting that small businesses do not have much cushion, Vautour said “most of us are just doing our best to get through these quieter months.”
Moving forward, she said “clear communication, realistic timelines and acknowledging the impact when essential services fail would go a long way in helping businesses plan and feel supported.”
Fuller said water service was maintained to the hospital “as much as possible throughout the duration of the repair,” although it did have to be turned off several times for repairs and to prevent damage to the water treatment plant. He added public works staff remained in frequent communication with the hospital throughout the event.
“Water main leaks are not 100 per cent preventable, but our staff work to prevent and address them as quickly and professionally as possible,” he said.
“It would have been difficult to find worse weekend weather to be called out, but our public works team laboured hard to see these issues resolved quickly and professionally,” Fuller said. “I for one am very grateful and proud of them.”
