When water constantly oozes out from around the base of a utility pole, it could be a shocking problem.

Utility poles are nearly as ubiquitous as trees, serving for more than a century as support struts for overhead wires that convey electricity and telecom services to homes and businesses.

But they aren’t as common as they once were, as more and more of the wiring used to connect us to power and internet are buried underground, where it is immune to weather.

Things like water don’t come to mind when you think about what a utility pole is used for, but a pole at the southwest corner of Bathurst Street and Glengrove Avenue is a rare exception to the rule.

Catriel Blum, who keeps a close watch on things in his neighbourhood and keeps me informed about them, emailed to say “I know it sounds unreal, but there is a hydro pole leaking water,” at Bathurst and Glengrove.

“There is a steady stream of water flowing out of the base of this pole (and) this has been going on for about six months. The corner is always wet, even in below-freezing temperatures.

“My guess is a leaking water main, but what do I know. I’m sure someone will have to dig to get to the root of it.”

In a subsequent email, Blum speculated that it could also be spring water from below ground that has somehow made its way to the surface around the pole. He thought it was a longshot, but I told him it was a distinct possibility.

I’ve previously come across situations involving water pooling on the road or leaking out of a hillside that looked like a water main leak, but turned out to be naturally occurring groundwater that had pushed its way to the surface.

But I have never seen a utility pole produce water. I was tempted to hammer a tap into the pole, like the ones used to draw sap from a maple tree, and see if it would produce a gusher.

STATUS: Since a leaky water main seemed to be the most likely culprit, I asked Toronto Water to look into it. I got a reply from a spokesperson that said “Toronto Water investigated the site. It seems the water found around the base of the hydro might be coming from the excavation of a home at a nearby address. The water was tested and found to be untreated, which confirms it is runoff water. Staff also checked for leaks on Toronto Water services in the area and did not find any.” In other words, naturally occurring groundwater, likely from an underground spring, which means there is no fix for it.

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