Sept. 22 update:

Crews have successfully repaired the second break and the water system has been returned to normal. We suspect that the initial blow-out weakened the pipe, creating a longitudinal crack. Water services have been restored and we thank you for your patience. Backfilling, clean up and road restoration continue this morning and we expect traffic impacts to continue until 12:30 PM today. 

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Crews are responding to a water main break on Portsmouth Ave., south of Bath Rd. The work is impacting traffic and some water services in the area, and we apologize for the inconvenience.

Lane closures are in place on Portsmouth and Bath. There is no left turn off Bath onto Portsmouth (heading west). Meanwhile, a water outage is impacting up to 50 properties on Portsmouth Ave., between Bath and Miles. 

We expect that both the traffic and water service disruptions will be restored by 4 AM on Sept. 22. Crews had already repaired a blow-out hole in a 12 inch cast iron pipe (pictured at right), however when they recharged the system, the pressure created a second break in the pipe, about one metre away from the initial break. 

Providing a safe, reliable source of drinking water to our customers is important to us. When a water main breaks, it can be disruptive to local traffic, pedestrians and our water customers - who count on a reliable supply of tap water. Our water main breaks web page explains why breaks happen, how our crews respond, what proactive steps we take to prevent them, and what you can do to reduce the impact of these service disruptions. 

Tips to help with a water outage

• When water is restored, you could experience discoloured tap water or air in the pipes. The water is still safe. In the case of discoloured water, you should run a cold water tap until it clears. This may take 5-25 minutes.
• Pails of water can be used to flush toilets when you pour the water into the tank. Consider 'cottage rules' for flushing.
• The City of Kingston emergency management plan suggests that each household have four litres of water, per person, per day at the ready for drinking and bathing.

To report a utility emergency in your area, call 613-546-1181. Thank you for your patience, as we work to restore water services as quickly as possible.