The Town performs a number of key maintenance services on a seasonal basis. These include:
Hydrant Flushing
Hydrant Flushing is a release of water from fire hydrants. It’s a controlled procedure that is vital to the general maintenance of the Town of Antigonish’s water distribution system.
Why do we flush hydrants?
Flushing hydrants improves water clarity, appearance, and quality by clearing settled material, including minerals, from water mains. By flushing the water through the pipes, minerals and sediments are flushed out of the water mains. Iron and other minerals can temporarily look like tea colored water coming out of a hydrant, but the water is still biologically safe to drink and use, however, it may stain laundry.
Hydrant flushing also helps avoid random bouts of dirty and rusty water which can happen if there is a major firefighting effort.
It also helps identify if there is a problem with a hydrant to determine if it needs to be repaired or replaced.
How often does the Town of Antigonish flush the hydrants?
Twice a year; in the spring and in the fall.
How long does it take to flush the hydrants?
Hydrant flushing is usually scheduled over a three-day period. However, it could be extended to a fourth day due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather or other work requiring immediate attention by Public Works.
If my water is discoloured, is it safe to use?
Yes. Discoloured water is safe to drink and use, however it may stain your laundry. If your water is discoloured, wait until flushing on your street is done, run a cold water tap for 10 to 15 minutes until the water runs clear. It's important to use cold water, not hot water.
Bathing and cooking are also safe, but if you run hot water, it can pull sediment into your hot water tank, which may take additional time to flush out.
Does the Town notify residents and businesses?
Yes, notices are posted to the Town's website and Facebook page and notices will be aired on the local radio station.
Why does the Town provide notices?
Sometimes as the churned-up water passes by your water service on the way to the hydrant, some discolored water can go up into the service line leading to your house if you have a faucet on or an appliance is drawing water.
While low concentrations of minerals are harmless, it can discolour the water causing concerns about quality and/or staining clothes in the washer. Our water and pipes are quite clean so there is not much iron to flush out, however residents should use caution when doing laundry. You can do this by paying attention if water is actively being flushed on your street.
If flushing is taking place, don’t open the faucet or use water until the flushing is completed on your street. If you are not home and appliances aren’t running at the time of flushing, it’s unlikely that you will draw in any discoloured water.
Tips for Minimizing Water Discoloration during Hydrant Flushing Operations on your Street
If possible, limit your water use if flushing crews are flushing on your street. Flush your cold water taps at a high volume until clear once the disturbance passes.
If issues persist for more than 24 hours after flushing has ended, please contact the Town at 902-867-5575 (Business Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Mon. - Fri.).
Winter Potholes
Fluctuating winter temperatures can be tough on our roads. Here’s what you can expect from repair work during the colder months.
Temporary vs. Permanent Repairs
Cold patch is the primary repair method used in winter. It’s a temporary fix that helps address immediate safety concerns.
Hot asphalt provides a long‑lasting repair, but it isn’t readily available until warmer weather returns.
Why Potholes Form
Winter’s freeze–thaw cycles cause pavement to expand and contract. Over time, this leads to cracks and potholes—especially when temperatures swing above and below freezing.
Weather Conditions Matter
Cold patch works best in dry conditions and when temperatures are above 0°C. As temperatures rise, the material bonds more effectively.Crews cannot patch during active snowfall or when the road is wet, as moisture prevents proper adhesion.
Keeping Crews Safe
Our teams often work early in the morning before traffic increases. Please slow down, stay alert, and give crews plenty of space so they can work safely.
Report a Pothole
To report a pothole in the Town of Antigonish, please send an email with the location of the pothole (street, closest civic address or landmark) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please note that while we review all pothole reports sent by email, they are collected for information purposes only and individual responses will not be provided.
Recreational Spaces Maintenance
The Town of Antigonish Recreation Department employs maintenance staff from mid-April until November 1st each year. These staff are responsible for maintenance of our fields, parks, paths, tennis courts, and mowing of public streets. Please note: Fields, parks, paths, and tennis courts are not maintained during the winter months.
Streets and Sidewalks
Each year, the Town of Antigonish undertakes regular maintenance on its streets and sidewalks, which includes paving and patching, centre line painting, and crosswalk painting.
2024-2025 Canada Community-Building Fund
The following is the list of paving projects that the Town completed in 2023-2024 that were funded through the Canada Community-Building Fund:
Snow Clearing
Following a snowfall, first priority is given to major arterial streets used by emergency responders. Once these streets have been cleared, crews will move toward cleaning subdivision areas. Areas serviced by sidewalks on both sides of the street can expect at least one side of the walk cleared.
Clearing our Streets and Sidewalks
Following a major snowfall, the Town’s number one priority is to make the main thoroughfares passable for emergency access vehicles. Accordingly, our efforts are focused on the arterial streets such as Main St., Church St., West St., and Hawthorne St., followed by collector streets such as Highland Dr., Braemore Ave., Brookland St., and Xavier Dr. Once snow clearing on these roads is reasonably complete, our focus shifts to subdivision areas and road widening in an effort to improve driving conditions through the Town.
Sidewalks are generally cleared after street clearing activity has commenced. Similar to our street clearing work, sidewalks are cleared according to a routing schedule, with priority being given to sidewalks which bring children to and from school. Moreover, when extreme conditions prevail, one sidewalk per street will be cleared before the second sidewalk is opened.
Our Focus is Safe, Accessible Streets
During periods of high accumulation, the Town’s main focus is having our streets accessible, and ensuring that storm drainage and fire hydrants are cleared. With all our clearing operations, efforts are made by our plow operators to lessen the amount of snow that is moved in a way that poses an inconvenience to residents, where possible, but obstacles such as trees, power poles, fences, and hedges can pose challenges to the placement of snow as it is plowed. Depending on the severity of the conditions and nature of the snowfall, the Town may need to push snow well back from the curb area, into driveways and onto lawns. Efforts are also made to remove snowbanks from various areas across the Town, but this work is generally limited to our downtown business areas, selected intersections, and various sharp street curves within subdivisions that may have an impact on driving visibility. These secondary clearing efforts are impacted by available budgets
