A water main break in the City of Canandaigua stirred up a wave of resident frustration this week, with many asking why the issue keeps happening — and why they’re not being notified directly.
The city shared an update about the incident on social media, thanking Department of Public Works crews for their response. But in the comments, residents didn’t hold back. Some questioned why Facebook had become the city’s main outlet for public health and safety updates. Others wanted answers on the root cause of the repeated breaks.
“Can anyone explain why we continue to have water main breaks? Feels like this is becoming a normal occurrence when it shouldn’t be,” one resident wrote. Another added they hadn’t received any direct notice about the disruption, despite living in the affected area.
Some pointed to aging infrastructure as the likely cause. One commenter said some of the pipes were installed over 100 years ago and have simply outlived their lifespan.
But others pushed back, noting that certain streets, like Gibson Street, had water mains replaced in the 1970s or ’80s.
The City didn’t explain what caused the break, but confirmed that the issue was caused by a break, and not a snowplow hitting a hydrant, which had apparently become a local rumor.
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