OXFORD, N.S. – It has been a very busy winter for Public Works crews in Oxford.
A series of water line breaks have kept crews moving and have left some wondering if the breaks are at all related to the sink hole that continues to sit in the Lions Park.
“The water line breaks have everything to do with aging infrastructure and nothing to do with the sinkhole,” Oxford’s CAO Rachel Jones said. “The two issues have absolutely nothing to do with each other.”
Since early December, Public Works has been called out to repair close to a dozen water line breaks that have disrupted water services to residences and businesses in different parts of the community – especially in the downtown core.
With it being her first winter at the town’s CAO, she said can’t compare this year’s to others, but feels it has been busier than normal for this time of year.
Jones said the town’s water infrastructure is decades old and is beginning to show its age. She said bitter cold temperatures in December and again in January have caused the frost to settle into the ground earlier than usual.
“When you rapid temperature swings it causes the pipes to move and break,” she said.
Jones didn’t have information on how much the water breaks have cost to repair so far this year, but said it hasn’t been cheap.
Ideally, she added, the town will be able to find some infrastructure funding to upgrade the lines. She said costs in the water utility, including fixing and replacing lines, are reflected in water rates and the town can apply to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board for rate increases.
It’s not a process that occurs overnight and includes a review, application and hearings.
Mayor Trish Stewart said the line on Main Street has been a real pain for the town and it’s something she hopes council will be in a position to address as soon as it can.
“It has to be hard for those businesses on Main Street because every time the water goes off it costs them money in lost business,” Stewart said, adding that when ever one part of the line is fixed it seems another part of the line becomes compromised.
At the same time, she added, council is very aware of the impact of water rates on people’s budgets.
As for the sink hole, the town is still working with the province to get funding for additional studies. It has received a commitment for 50 per cent of the cost of a more detailed underground survey but is working to get the other half covered as well.
The town and the Lions can’t make any decisions on the future of the Lions Park until they know what’s going on under the park. A study several months ago with ground penetrating radar was inconclusive.
Twitter: @ADNdarrell
