What Can You Do When Your Main Water Line Busts?

Did you know that Calgary has over 4,600 kilometres of water mains? These are the pipes that connect each individual home to the municipal water supply, and while the city is always working hard to repair and replace water mains before they malfunction, leaks do happen. So how can you identify a broken main water line, and what should you do if a water line near you breaks?

No Water?

When it comes to a broken main water line, the symptom most Calgarians notice first is that they don’t have any water. Water lines break for numerous reasons, but typically it’s because the pipe is old or a rapid temperature change has caused a sudden expansion or contraction in the pipe, and the force was too strong. Either way, if you’re experiencing a sudden loss of water or spot a broken line, the first thing to do is check with the City of Calgary. It’s possible someone has already reported the unplanned water outage, and it’ll appear on their website with the most recent information. If your outage is not listed, you should report the outage to 311.

Wait for the City.

After you’ve called 311, a water services crew will be dispatched to evaluate the situation. Unfortunately, while emergency water main repairs have been reduced significantly thanks to regular maintenance, it’s not usual for 3 or 4 areas of the city to be affected all at once. If an affected area includes a school or a hospital, repair crews will work to fix the issue there first. While that’s understandable when you aren’t suddenly out of water or facing flooding, it’s not ideal when your family is dealing with an emergency.

Call an Emergency Calgary Plumber.

Our team of Calgary plumbers is on call from 8AM to 10PM everyday to help rescue homeowners from plumbing emergencies. We know that sometimes the city just can’t get there fast enough, and you need help now. In those situations, depending on the damage, our plumbers may be help turn off or reduce the flow of water into your home. We’re here to help until the city crew arrives.

No one wants to face a broken water main, but if it does happen to you, know that the City of Calgary and our friendly Calgary plumbers have your back. Remember that you should run a trickle (about a pencil stream) of water from all of your taps for 20 minutes once water is restored to your home. That will flush out any contaminants needed to repair the pipe.

The Plumbing Paramedics are here to help protect your home and make sure you have access to safe drinking water as soon as possible. Give us a call at (403) 452-2911 or book an appointment online!