Surgeries rescheduled at Halifax Infirmary as second water main break hits hospital

A second water main break at the Halifax Infirmary site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre has left the hospital without running water. (Wikipedia)

Nova Scotia’s biggest hospital has no running water for a second day in a row, as a second water main break occurred at the Halifax Infirmary overnight Wednesday.

That means the Infirmary, Veterans Memorial Building, Abbie J. Lane and the power plant have no running water for flushing toilets or drinking. 

It’s affecting services at multiple sites at the QEII Health Sciences Centre complex and beyond. 

Patients with surgeries at the Infirmary, the Victoria General and Dartmouth General hospitals may have their procedures rescheduled. Nova Scotia Health says emergency and time-sensitive surgeries will go ahead.

Outpatient blood collection at the Infirmary site is closed for Thursday. Patients can go to the Bayers Road blood collection facility.

The Infirmary’s emergency department is open but patients are being asked to visit another site if their issue isn’t an emergency.

Nova Scotia Health says patients with other scheduled appointments Thursday will be contacted to relocate, reschedule or offer a virtual option. And visitors and support people for patients at the Halifax Infirmary site will be limited.

Officials are working on the problem. Portable hand-washing stations and portable washrooms are available. And bottled water is on site.

Workers with Nova Scotia Health had been fixing the original water main break in the steam plant on Wednesday, when the second one occurred.