Computer control failure to blame for morning water pressure drop in Regina

A computer control failure at a north Regina pumping station was to blame for a morning water pressure drop that affected much of the city.

“We’re not entirely sure what happened, but the computer control failed and the automation wouldn’t work on the system,” said Regina Waste, Water and Environmental Services Director Greg Kuntz.

The failure happened around 8 a.m. at the pumping station at 9th Ave North and Pasqua Street. Everything south of the pumping station was affected.

“Out in the Greens you would have noticed a substantial pressure drop, whereas downtown the pressure drop would have been much less noticeable,” Kuntz said.

Crews responded and had the pump running in manual mode in about an hour. Kuntz said that while some residents may have seen just a trickle of water coming from their faucets, the system never completely lost pressure.

“The city has other pumping stations that can pick up the slack,” Kuntz explained. “They can’t pick up the entire system, but it does keep enough pressure in the line that we don’t depressurize the system and keep water flowing.”

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Kuntz confirmed to Global News Friday afternoon that crews had restored automation at the pumping station and that no extra monitoring of the system was necessary.

Residents, he said, might temporarily see discoloration or smell an odor in their tap water. He said that’s due to the re-pressurization of the system stirring up sediment in the water lines and that the water is still safe to drink.

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