Improving water supply and pressure in the East Hill area is worth an additional $350,000, Red Deer City Council decided.
Seven councillors unanimously voted on Monday to increase the budget of a secondary water trunk project along 39th Street to $1.82 million from a previously approved $1.47 million.
(Mayor Morris Flewwelling and councillor Dianne Wyntjes were absent).
Engineering services manager Frank Colosimo said only one contractor submitted a bid for the directional drilling part of the project, and the amount exceeded available funds.
He didn’t think re-tendering the project would result in significant cost savings, since most of the contractors who could do the work are already very busy with other projects.
“The one (contractor) that did bid is making room for us, because he sees the City of Red Deer as a preferred customer,” Colosimo told council.
Since there isn’t enough money in the city’s offsite reserve, made up from developer levies, to cover this additional amount, Colosimo said debenture borrowing will be needed. Council responded by giving first reading to a borrowing bylaw.
The project will involve directional drilling 1.5 km of water pipe from Springbett Drive to Maxwell Avenue.
This technology will allow a second water trunk to be installed along 39th Street without the need to dig up the whole length of roadway.
Instead, excavation will be limited to roughly seven separate and relatively small locations along the street.
Colosimo told council the water trunk twinning project is needed to maintain the proper balance of water to the East Hill area and to improve the capacity and reliability of the city’s distribution system.
If it doesn’t go ahead as expected next spring, he said residents of the area have the potential to see lower water pressure.
A supply to meet peak hour demands could not be guaranteed, and “there wouldn’t be the reassurance that we have good, strong (water system) backbone in East Hill,” he said.
City engineers are hoping the project won’t affect the commuter bike pilot project. Plans were made to create a bike lane route along 39th Street from 30th Avenue to Spruce Drive.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com