WINNIPEG, MB - The City of Winnipeg is planning major rehabilitation work on river outfalls and a water feeder main, and the riverbank stabilization work that is required for these repairs must be done before next spring's thaw.
To complete these projects in a timely matter, an administrative report published on Thursday, November 22, 2012 calls for approval to spend up to $2.3 million in advance of City Council approving the 2013 Capital Budget.
To improve planning for strategic capital investment, the 2013 Operating and Capital budgets will be adopted at the same time. This new system stems from recommendations in the 2008 Capital Project Management Audit. As a result of the new process, initiatives like this require Council approval in advance of the budget, in order to tender and award the various engineering contracts needed to ensure the projects can be started on time.
Approval is requested to spend up to $1 million to rehabilitate the Midtown feeder main that carries water across the Assiniboine River from north Winnipeg to south Winnipeg. The total cost to rehabilitate the Midtown feeder main is estimated to be $6.8 million. The rehabilitation work includes replacing the steel water pipe, strengthening and modifying the bridge structure and riverbank stabilization. The high river flows in fall 2011 caused riverbank instability and put the bridge at risk. The feeder main was repaired in 1993 to extend its service life and the pipe has now reached the end of its service life.
"The Midtown feed main is a critical water distribution system pipe that has been in service since 1956," said Councillor Dan Vandal, Chair of Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works. "It is an historic piece of our cit's infrastructure, and unique in that it is built on its own dedicated bridge structure."
In addition to the Midtown feeder main, approval is requested to spend up to $1.3 million from the annual $1.5 million Outfall Rehabilitation Program budget. River outfalls are the pipes through which urban runoff, carried primarily by land drainage sewers, are drained to the rivers. There are more than 350 river outfalls in the city. The outfalls have been inspected and a prioritized list of locations for repairs has been developed. Outfalls are identified for repair in a given year based on their degree of deterioration, largely due to riverbank movement, and the most critical outfalls are moved to the top of the repair list. The work must be tendered in December to take place January to March when the rivers are frozen and there is no water flowing through the outfall pipes.
The report will be considered by the Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works at its meeting this morning, Monday, November 26, 2012. The report is available here.