Elgin Street has been closed for the second time in a week due to another broken water main.

Elgin Street was closed near Cooper Street Wednesday morning after a water main broke. (CBC)

The road was shut down Wednesday after cold weather caused a pipe to burst near Elgin and Cooper Street. Elgin is closed between Somerset and Cooper Streets and is not expected to reopen until later Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.

Water gushing like 'Old Faithful'

Bob Jones of Mayflower Restaurant said there was water shooting skyward when he arrived at the restaurant Wednesday.

"It was gushing up like Old Faithful," said Jones.

He also said some businesses were without water and temporarily closed, but said the Mayflower has been spared.

The section of Elgin affected was recently repaved — covering up pipes that have been around for almost 140 years.

Resident Daniel Waselnuk said he wonders why the city didn't replace the old pipes first.

"They should have done a more thorough job and they haven't," said Waselnuk. "I think that's really stupid and dumb."

Pipes date back to 1874

Councillor Maria McRae said the pipes were inspected before the road was resurfaced. She said the pipe involved dates back to 1874, but that age alone doesn't always dictate whether a pipe will burst.

"We saw with [the Woodroffe water main] it doesn't have to be an old pipe to have problems, you can have something that is constructed appropriately that also brings problems," said McRae.

She said since some pipes date to the late 1800s or early 1900s, it makes sense to replace them whenever streets are fixed.

"Every time we start resurfacing we need to get that integrated program moving forward," she said.

Another water main broke Saturday on Elgin between Waverley Street and Gladstone Avenue, causing havoc for businesses.

But McCrae said Saturday's incident involved different pipes.