August 6, 2025 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Antigonish, N.S. - Yesterday, the Town of Antigonish responded to a major water main break that affected our municipal water system. At around 11:30 a.m., a contractor working in the Gravel Pit Road area accidentally damaged the main water line that carries water from the James River Dam to the Town’s water treatment plant. This line is a key part of our system, and the damage resulted in an immediate stop to the flow of water to the Town’s water treatment plant. As a result, the treatment plant had to be temporarily shut down.

Town staff responded quickly to the incident. The Town’s Public Works team was on-site to assess the damage and begin repairs. The flow of water from the dam was turned off to allow repairs to proceed safely. The early estimate suggested that the repairs could take 24 to 48 hours to complete, but the dedicated team managed to get initial repairs complete and water plant back online by about 10:00pm last night.  

While the plant was offline, the Town relied on water stored in its water towers to supply homes and businesses. These towers typically hold about two days of water for normal use and performed as expected while the plant was offline. With less water in our towers, some residents may notice reduced water pressure until the towers are refilled.   

The Town’s top priority remains ensuring that everyone in the community has access to a safe and reliable water supply as we work through this unexpected event and an extended dry spell.

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Media Contact: 

Mikaela Williams 

Marketing and Communications Officer 

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902-318-6758