DAVIDSON—When Rose Spratt saw water bubbling up out of the snow as she closed the curtains of her front window before going to bed the night of Feb. 27, she had a moment when she doubted her sanity.

It was about minus 20 degrees and the last thing she expected to see was water coming up out of the snow-covered ground.

She put on her glasses.

The view didn’t improve, but the eyeglasses at least confirmed she was of sound mind.

She was looking at a serious watermain break.

“I phoned the town right away,” she said. “I’m thankful I did because we could have had a flood here.”

Water was seeping under the snow and beginning to flood the yard central yard of the Davidson Housing Authority units on Hamilton Street. The water had reached the sidewalks at the edge of the units.

Spratt said Davidson Public Works arrived on the scene immediately and turned off the water supply to the senior social housing complex that is home to four one-bedroom duplex units.

That was the start of 12-day wait for the simple pleasure of running water. Residents were without running water from Feb. 27 until March 11. The problem was caused by the failure of corroded cast iron bolts and saddles that connect the units’ water supply pipes to the cast iron watermain.

To read the full story, please consider purchasing the March 18, 2019 edition of The Davidson Leader. The Davidson Leader is available at these fine retailers: Davidson – Stedmans, Shell, Riverbend Co-op Gas Bar and Food Store, The Davidson Leader; Craik: Palliser Plains Co-op Food Store; Kenaston: KC Distributors.

To subscribe. Phone 306-567-2047, email davidsonleader@sasktel.net or click the Subscribe button.