A local company was awarded the contract to install a sanitary sewer trunk main under 50th Avenue, between 41st and 47th Streets this fall.
The bid of Urban Dirtworks, in the amount of $1,103,843.37, including GST, was accepted by councillors May 12.
The work involves the second phase of a program to replace the existing older main with a larger diameter main so that future flows from the west and south can be accommodated.
David Kelham, the town’s engineering technician, said work is expected to start after the Labour Day weekend in September and be completed by Oct. 31st.
Four contractors submitted bids and all fell within the total project budget.
Water well study
At the same meeting, councillors awarded a contract for a study to find a new water well.
Tetra Tech EBA of Calgary was the successful bidder at an estimated amount of $108,597 excluding GST.
David Brand, director of public works, in his report to council, stated the town is “facing a medium-term shortage of potable water for population growth” beyond the presently licensed capacity of 18,000 people.
The project, to be completed by October, includes investigation, exploration and drilling of wells at selected locations. A complete groundwater feasibility investigation is required to determine the availability of suitable quantity and quality of potable water for addition to the town’s present licensed allocations.
It’s estimated additional water will be required by 2018.
A second phase of the project is tentatively scheduled for 2015, assuming a suitable supply is found and a budget is available to complete a well and hook it into the town’s system.
It would be a short term solution to satisfy the town’s water needs.
A longer term project is to develop a regional water system drawing water from the Red Deer River. A commission of municipalities around the lake has been investigating this possibility for several years but provincial government funding would be needed to complete the project.
Betty Osmond, the town’s chief administrative officer, said that could be quite a few years in the
Engineering services
Councillors also awarded a contract for general engineering services to Tagish Engineering of Red Deer for a three year period, with an annual review.
These services are required throughout the year to “supplement the technical capability and capacity within Public Works”, said Brand’s report.
Among the tasks could be review of developer-supplied engineering drawings, cost estimates and studies; field inspections of development sites for construction completion and final acceptance; functional planning studies, traffic counts and traffic signal warrant analysis; feasibility studies, water and sanitary modelling and conceptual design; estimating and budgeting assistance for town capital projects; and miscellaneous design services and technical assistance.