‘Major’ watermain break closes Stittsville Main Street

A portion of Stittsville Main Street is closed this morning after a watermain break between Abbott Street and Beverly Street.

The roadway is expected to be closed for the day on Tuesday as crews tend to the damage.

“Crews attended the site and have excavated the pipe. Repairs are underway and crews are working to restore service as soon as possible,” Marilyn Journeaux, Director of Water Services at the City of Ottawa, told CityNews.

Businesses and homes in the area are without water. Roads impacted include Stittsville Main Street, McCann Street, Mulkins Street, Andrew Alexander Court, Warner-Colpitts Lane and Reverie Private.

According to the area Councillor Glen Gower, the break happened around 6 a.m. The pipe that burst is a major artery that runs down the middle of Stittsville Main Street in front of Frederick Banting High School.

City of Ottawa workers were able to stop the water before a sink hole appeared, Gower said, but there is mud and water near the area.

“Today they’ll have to dig into the road to determine where the break occurred and then fix it, so they’ll be working well into this evening,” he said in a message to residents. “When I dropped by (around 9 a.m.) they were waiting for additional crews and equipment to begin the work.”

“The safety and well-being of our residents and businesses is our top priority. We understand this service interruption is frustrating and inconvenient for residents” Journeaux said in a statement.

OC Transpo routes 61, 261 and 263 were re-routed down Jonathan Pack Street.