UPDATED: No clear timeline for repairs to water issues in St. Stephen, boil water advisory continues

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.”

Mayor Allan MacEachern said crews are working around the clock to resolve the leak — as water must keep flowing through the system.

“There’s always going to be a pipe break,” he said. “It’s just impossible not to have that stuff. You can’t just dig all this stuff I’m not about to replace it every so many years and call it a day. It doesn’t work that way.”

Infrastructure for water supply is typically several metres below the ground and in the winter can be very challenging to access due to deep frost.

MacEachern said he feels the communication was done as well as possible — citing communication to local media and the alert sent out via the Alertable app.

He expressed some frustration about the messaging being shared on social media, which is disheartening to both him and the staff working on the issue.

“It’s just frustrating,” he said. “You’re dealing with water and crazy temperatures and things that break down.”

There is currently no clear estimates on how much this is going to cost the municipality.