Residents in north and central London may have some orange or yellowish water coming from their taps on Thursday.
Construction crews will be doing planned watermain repairs starting at 9 a.m., and that could lead to temporary water discolouration. The affected area will be bordered by Huron Street to the north, Horton Street to the south, Richmond Street to the west, and Highbury Avenue to the east.
"Crews will be installing a new watermain chamber underneath the intersection of Regent Street and Maitland Street. The work will alter the normal direction of water flow in numerous watermains, which has the potential to release particles of rust from the interior surfaces of older, cast iron pipes," the City of London said in a statement issued Wednesday. "Although this does not represent a health concern, residents in the area may experience a slight yellow or orange discolouration temporarily in their tap water and may wish to avoid washing laundry this day."
The tap water will still be safe to use, if residents choose to do so, the city reassured.
In an effort to reduce any discolouration that occurs, the city's water operations staff will be regularly discharging water throughout the day.
The Maitland Street watermain was built in the 1960s and is one of the city's main water feed lines. While it will be shut off while work is underway, no water service interruptions are expected.
Anyone who experiences water discolouration or pressure problems after Thursday is advised to call the city's water operations at 519-661-4739 or report the issue online.
