The Municipal District of St. Stephen has issued another update as the boil water advisory in the community hits the one-week mark, saying it has no clear timeline for fixing the issue.
According to an update issued to Alertable, municipal staff, aided by local contractors and engineers, have identified the source of the issue.
The alert said an air leak is disrupting the vacuum on the main pump at the Maxwell Crossing facility.
“In order to undertake appropriate repairs, the source of the air leak must be identified,” the alert said. “At this time, we have been unable to determine the location of this leak.”
According to the alert, a contractor with specialized equipment was on site to help in finding the location of the leak.
“This equipment is being deployed alongside pipeline excavation work,” the alert said. “Once the leak is located, repair work can be initiated. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a timeline for the completion of this work at this time.”
It does outline anticipated timelines for when the repair is complete.
- Once the repair is complete, municipal staff will need to undertake to flush of the approximately 3 kilometres of pipe. This work is expected to take approximately three days.
- Following the flushing, it is expected the turbidity in the system should return to normal levels.
- In order to lift the boil water advisory, Public Health will require two water tests 24 hours apart.
It said citizens should expect municipal crews and required contractors will continue efforts to find a solution.
The boil water advisory will last for at least another seven to 10 days. It will continue to provide updates, the alert said, as warranted.
“The Municipal District apologizes for this unexpected interruption in service and for the inconvenience caused,” the alert said. “We are making every effort to take corrective action as quickly as possible.”
