The City of White Rock will carry over some $540,000 from the 2020 budget to upgrade watermains prone to corrosion and pipe breaks — a savings of $148,000 on the amount originally budgeted.
At its April 12 virtual meeting council approved the work — for mains on Stevens and Chestnut streets — following written and verbal corporate reports from engineering and municipal operations director Jim Gordon.
At the same time council awarded a contract for the majority of the project to Brighouse Civil Contracting DTM Ltd. endorsing its bid of $454,576.
Gordon told council that the work — for Stevens Street between Russell Avenue and North Bluff Road, and Chestnut Street, between Blackburn Avenue and North Bluff Road — is to replace cast-iron watermains that have a history of premature corrosion and leaks.
The Stevens Street section has been identified as needing replacement due to a history of pipe breaks since 2017, Gordon said, while staff have also responded to several leaks along the Chestnut Street section.
Both projects, carry-overs from the 2020 works budget, have been grouped together, Gordon explained, to “achieve economic advantage compared to tendering each project individually.”
This, combined with a low bid from Brighouse, will result in a total project cost significantly less than the $688,000 originally budgeted for the work, Gordon said.
Noting that the city has engaged R.F. Binnie & Associates Ltd. for design and construction monitoring services, Gordon said the new pipe will be “ductile iron that includes cathodic protection of fittings to improve the longevity of the pipeline infrastructure.”
Part of the project is providing an additional fire hydrant for improved fire protection, while the city has also hired Urban Grove Tree Care & Consulting to manage any impacts to vegetation, and to direct the contractor in this regard when needed.
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