A section of Hwy. 16 in downtown Burns Lake was recently closed to traffic for seven hours following the discovery of an underground water leak.
Despite extensive excavation work, the source of the water leak still remains undetermined.
According to Village of Burns Lake chief administrative officer Sheryl Worthing, it has been determined that the source of the water leak is not coming from infrastructure under the highway. "Because of this we were able to re-route the water using a culvert and this enabled the crew to refill then re-open the highway. The crew is now investigating other water mains to determine where the water is coming from."
She said there is no further risk to highway infrastructure because the culvert is diverting the water into the village drainage system.
"The crew will continue to search until they find the issue but it is very hard to determine the length of time it will take," she added.
Worthing said the next plan of action is to excavate the Lakeland Hotel parking lot near the culvert in a bid to further search for the source of the leak.
Work is expected to start this week, pending appropriate weather conditions.
The water leak was first discovered by a village public works foreman on Christmas day, during a routine maintenance check.
She said the employee noticed water coming out of the asphalt, which then required a section of the highway be excavated.
"The sub base of Hwy. 16 in that section was completely saturated. Crew members removed and replaced the section of the highway with a screened pit run [crushed rock and gravel used for drainage]," Worthing said.
"Crew members inserted a temporary culvert to accommodate the leaking water until such time as the source of the water can be determined."
According to Worthing the leak is the approximate volume of a five-eighth inch garden hose running open. "This is a minimal amount compared to the delivery capabilities of the village water system. The flow into the storm drain system is minimal and not a concern."
Worthing said the highway won't be patched until the source of the water leak has been determined and until the weather allows for the replacement of asphalt, as per the Ministry of Transportation and infrastructure requirements.
She also said that it is the village's responsibility to repair the highway.
"It is a Ministry of Transportation requirement that any party damaging Hwy. 16, repair it."
The total cost of the repairs is undetermined at this point, but Worthing said hot mix asphalt repairs cost approximately $56 per square metre.