Oh, the horror!
If you’re reading this, give yourself a pat on the back. You made it through February. Renowned in Canada for its furious bouts of extreme cold, February did not disappoint this year.
Guelph, and a number of neighbouring towns and cities, saw the cold temperatures manifest themselves angrily in the form of frozen pipes. As of March 5, almost 400 water customers in Guelph were without running water from frozen pipes.
There to help in these frightful times was the City’s frozen water assistance program. This program provides assistance to those affected by the disaster in the form of gift cards with which to buy bottled water and supplies, as well as the use of laundry and showering facilities.
Rather than trying to thaw out the frozen pipes, the City opted to instead focus on installing temporary water lines. As of March 9, a total of 171 of these temporary water lines had been installed. This was seen as a much faster way to relieve as many people as possible of the struggles of living with no running water.
While the water in the temporary water lines is not for consumption, it no doubt alleviates some of the pressure faced by those whose pipes have frozen.
Consistently low temperatures, especially in the overnight hours, and a deeper frost layer have contributed significantly to this problem. The average temperature in Guelph this February was roughly -14.3 C, much lower than the historical average for February of -6.9 C.
As we all know, last winter was a harsh one, but the average temperature in February last year was only -11.6 C, making this February almost a whole 3 degrees colder on average. These abysmally cold temperatures led the frost layer to extend deeper into the ground, where it was able to reach a greater number of underground pipes.
It could take a while before water services are completely back to normal in Guelph and the other cities in South-Western Ontario that have also been affected, like Cambridge, Collingwood, Owen Sound, and Toronto. The City of Guelph is hopeful that warmer March temperatures will help to ameliorate the situation.
The community members who have stepped up to the plate to help out those in need deserve our congratulations. Through the hard work and selfless efforts of many Guelphites, the burden that has been placed on many of our neighbours is being lessened. It is wonderful that our community is so ready to deal with unexpected situations and so eager to lend a helping hand when adversity strikes.
As the air warms up again and the ground begins to thaw, many of the problems caused by the frozen pipes will likely disappear. Nonetheless, people who have been affected by frozen pipes are being urged to monitor their water use and check for leaks, as frozen pipes have the potential to crack and cause leaks when water is flowing again.
Anyone experiencing issues related to frozen pipes is advised to contact Guelph’s Water Services department for support.