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On the second day of continued work to correct a break in a Utilities Kingston sewer force water main in the city’s west end, the local utilities supplier is requesting continued water conservation and reduced sewer use from west-end residents.

The incident began on the morning of Thursday, Jun. 9, 2022, when Utilities Kingston announced that a sewer force water main break had occurred on Days Road. The break in question is on one of two sewer mains conveying sewage from the Days Road Pumping Station to the Cataraqui Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant. The affected sewer main was shut down, Utilities Kingston said Thursday, and the leak was contained, however, the sewer main remaining in service is experiencing high capacity, as it is now pumping high volumes due to recent heavy rains.

Utilities Kingston crews remained on site working throughout the day Thursday, as well as through the night.

“Crews uncovered the source of the sewer break, which is at a flange fitting on a large diameter, 36-inch force main,” Utilities Kingston communicated on Friday, Jun. 10, 2022, around 10:50 a.m.

“We appreciate the continued efforts of our community in reducing water and sewer use,” said Heather Roberts, Director of Water and Wastewater Services for Utilities Kingston, in a statement. “Due to the size, location, and material of the pipe, we are anticipating a challenging repair and are asking our community to plan to conserve water into Saturday.”

The utility provider noted that, in addition to the break being on a large diameter sewer main, the location is “challenging due to surrounding telecommunications infrastructure.”

“Utilities Kingston is making every effort to reduce the disruption to sewer services, by keeping the service operational during repairs,” the company stated.

Utilities Kingston said that residents and businesses in the Kingston West sewage collection system are affected, and outlined the Kingston West sewage collection system is being:

Utilities Kingston also provided the following tips for reduced sewer usage:

“We are working hard to ensure the sewer services our community relies on continue to be operational during this repair,” Roberts said. “Our community can also be assured about the quality of tap water. There is no risk of drinking water contamination due to this sewer issue, and our community can continue to rely on safe drinking water.” According to Utilities Kingston, during normal operation, two sewer mains carry sewage from the Days Road Pumping Station to the Cataraqui Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is located along Front Road. There, wastewater is treated and released to Lake Ontario in the form of natural resource quality water. Days Road Pumping Station conveys sewage from 80-90 per cent of the Kingston West collection system, and does so through the affected sewer force main, to the Cataraqui Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant. Residents can view a map of this sewage collection system via Utilities Kingston at https://utilitieskingston.com/Corporate/AboutUs/ServiceAreas.

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