TORONTO -- When the cold weather mills around for a few weeks, Toronto falls apart.
A slew of pipes burst across the city over the long weekend leaving roadways flooded, apartments drenched and movie-goers wet.
The pipes burst because of the unrelenting cold that has blanketed the area over the past several weeks, according to Lou Di Gironimo, the general manager of Toronto Water.
He says 48 water mains broke across the city and more than 1,000 calls came in for frozen pipes in homes and apartment buildings.
The cruel weather even affected the steamy crowd at a west-end theatre watching Fifty Shades of Grey, which was cancelled after frozen pipes burst and water leaked from the ceiling.
Officials say frozen pipes also led to the closure of a tower at City Hall that forced marriage ceremonies to a different floor, flooded subway stations, leaks across Ryerson University and damage at the Maple Leafs' practice facility.
Maple Leaf fans, however, say the team has had leaks all year.
Of course, Di Gironimo says, things are "not as bad as last year" when the Polar Vortex and an ice storm nearly crippled the city at times.
"We had 42 water main breaks in one day!" Di Gironimo says, looking on the bright side.
To avoid frozen pipes, the City of Toronto suggests:
- Leaving a tap slightly open for a very thin stream of water.
- Insulating pipes that are outside or exposed to an uninsulated wall with foam pipe covers.
- Opening kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate around the plumbing.
- Turning off the main valve and opening the taps to drain water if leaving for a lengthy stretch.
To thaw frozen pipes, the City of Toronto suggests:
- Turning on a tap in the basement, preferably the cold water faucet in the laundry room.
- Using a blow dryer to warm the frozen pipe for one or two hours.
- Wrapping a warm towel around a frozen pipe.
- Patience -- the thawing process could take up to six hours depending on the extent of freezing.
