New water-gate invention expected to save Hampstead hundreds of thousands of dollars

Hampstead will be the first town on the island to use the Water-Gate flood water diversion system. Hampstead Public Security, who is at the scene of a water main break within 5 to 10 minutes of a call, will keep the Water-Gate system in their vans. The device will be unrolled to form a barrier that will stop water flowing down a driveway by diverting the water back to the street. “Hampstead is lucky to have very dedicated employees who work together as a team,” explained Mayor Bill Steinberg. “In this case, we had inherited a very serious problem and our Division Chief of Purchasing, Michel Richard, found the Water-Gate system. Together with Public Security and Public Works we have put together our fast response plan and we expect the Town to save hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result.”

Regular maintenance of Hampstead’s water main network was neglected during the municipal merger. Consequently, following the demerger, Hampstead had a water main network consisting of old pipes filled with gunk and prone to breakage. The Town had about 55 water main breaks each year during the borough years. Now, most water pipes have been relined, rehabilitated and replaced. This year, another $1,000,000, mostly from grants, will be spent on the Town’s water mains. The result is that water main breaks have been cut by 50% in Hampstead.

For further details or to view pictures of the Town’s new Water-Gate system in action, please visit our website at www.hampstead.qc.ca