A water main dating back nearly 90 years was responsible for a major break that damaged Silica Street in September.
The damaged section is expected to be repaved this month, after the city secured a spot in its paving contractor’s schedule.
The pipe burst near the intersection with Hall Street on Sept. 3, sending water beneath the road and eroding its base. The incident left about 20 homes without water and created a sinkhole that a Nelson Fire Rescue engine fell into while responding to the initial call.
During the Oct. 27 council meeting, Community Planning Manager Chris Johnson confirmed the break involved a section of water main installed in 1937.
He said the damage was particularly extensive because the asphalt on Silica Street had recently been replaced during other water main work.
“Because that asphalt was actually pretty new, ’cause we put new pipe in there, it, instead of, like, the water bursting out of the roadway like it normally would, it was just, like, a big sheet that held the water in and it just completely eroded all the subbase,” Johnson told council.
The fire engine sustained minimal damage and remained operational.
Aging water infrastructure
The September break also highlighted the age of Nelson’s remaining water infrastructure.
Johnson told council the city still has water mains dating back to 1927, including the feeder main bringing water from Five Mile and pipes running beneath Baker Street.
The 1937 pipe involved in the September break runs along Hall Street, with the burst occurring near Silica Street.
Johnson said the city has already replaced a significant amount of its aging water infrastructure through previous capital projects.
“The first water strategic plan from ’07 to ’17 really tackled a lot of that water main replacement. Did a lot of really good work on that. Whereas the last strategic plan moved into that securing supply,” Johnson said.
He said the subsequent plan included work on a booster station, a new feeder main running to the reservoir and improvements to the raw water line and finished water plant.
Johnson also explained how the city has improved its ability to isolate sections of the water network when repairs are needed.
“All of this work that we’ve done at all the intersections has been cutting in valves and looping in water so that when we do replace that pipe, everything will have a lot more isolation ability, so it is much less disruptive should we have to cut in a new service or anything like that,” Johnson told council.
More water main replacements planned
Johnson noted the city has included funding in its 2027 capital plan to replace some of the remaining 1937 water main.
It’s also preparing for the eventual replacement of the aging water mains beneath Baker Street, which date back to 1927.
Planning for that project is expected to begin in 2027, although construction is not anticipated for at least another three years.
“As far as the actual Baker Street work, you know, that’ll be, like, 2031, ’32. You know, we aren’t entirely sure exactly where that’ll fall,” Johnson said.
He acknowledged the work will be disruptive but said the city is documenting underground conditions ahead of the project to help control costs and minimize delays.
He pointed to the recent Josephine Street work as an example of the challenges involved in replacing aging infrastructure, where crews can encounter unexpected materials and obstacles underground.
Having city crews complete that project helped control costs, said Johnson, with the work finishing under budget and an estimated $80,000 saved in potential change orders.
The city intends to use what it learns from existing projects to prepare for the Baker Street work and reduce the impact on businesses and residents.
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