Several watermain breaks have been identified in the Kingston central water distribution system since yesterday afternoon, causing water outages to less than 50 properties. Information and updates on these outages can be found on our Water service interruptions web page.

Crews have isolated parts of the system in response to the breaks and repair plans are in place. Repairs are expected to continue throughout today and into Friday. We will continue to provide updates on the Water service interruptions web page as well as on our social media channels regarding the outages and expected restoration. 

Update, July 28: All water main break repairs that were occurring yesterday have been completed and the related water service interruptions have been restored. Traffic flow in these areas is back to normal. 

The water distribution system is stable, and the drinking water is safe.

Utilities Kingston is still investigating and reviewing data, however, the multiple breaks in the system are being attributed to transient waves in the distribution system that occurred on Wednesday afternoon related to a series of routine operational activities occurring simultaneously creating changes in the dynamics of the flow in the water distribution system. Transient waves, or hydraulic transients are pressure waves or surges related to change in the flow direction of water in the distribution system.  Transients are caused by the variation in the drinking water demand patterns that trigger pump and valve operations, but have the potential to cause damage and failure when there are changes.  As noted above there were a series of routine operational activities occurring simultaneously on Wednesday afternoon which resulted in a change to the usual dynamics of the flow in the water distribution system that caused the multiple breaks.

It is possible that additional breaks related to this event may be realized in the coming day and crews are ready to respond if necessary.

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 information explains why some 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.