Six operating rooms at the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax will remain closed for almost another week.

Two of the four rooms are not drying out as quickly as expected after a water leak last week, said Dr. Jaap Bonjer, chief of surgery of the Capital District Health Authority.

"We'll stay on the safe side and we'll leave ourselves a few extra days to make sure everything is in good shape," he said Friday.

Bonjer said he doesn't anticipate any problems because the hospital normally cuts back during March break.

On Feb. 28, a pressure valve on the 12th floor of the Centennial Building failed, causing water to leak to the operating room wing below.

Forty surgeries had to be transferred to other buildings.

Bonjer said nurses and other operating-room staff have been working overtime to allow the surgeries to go ahead.

"I don't have an idea of the cost," he said. "We're focusing on the patients right now and the costs will follow later."

Bonjer said air quality tests show high levels of moisture but not mould, and he hopes fans solve the problem.

But if the operating rooms in the Centennial Building remain out of service past the end of next week, he said the plan is to operate at night as well as during the day.

"We're looking at working two shifts at the Halifax Infirmary," he said.

Bonjer said 40 surgeries that had to be cancelled would be rescheduled over the next month.