About 26 kilometres of Langley City water pipe is “likely past or reaching the end of its useful life” but the exact condition of the nearly 60-year-old lines, such if they are leaking or the pipe walls have been eroded, is unknown.
That was the way a report to City council by Rick Bomhof, City director of engineering, parks and environment, summed up the situation.
Bomhof said some of the lines, running under the Fraser Highway one way, Glover Road, and Grade Crescent, were installed in 1961.
Currently, the City has “no condition data” for the old pipes, Bomhof explained.
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Plans call for testing using acoustic sensors attached to fire hydrants and valves to send a signal through the watermain, “a non-invasive, non-intrusive and non-destructive method” that will detect pipe wall thickness and leaks, information that will determine structural integrity and remaining useful life.
Cost of the watermain condition assessment was initially budgeted at $75,000 to test three kilometres, or 12 per cent of the aging lines, but that has been placed on hold while the City applies for a Federation of Canadian Municipalities grant that would boost funding by $50,000 and double the amount tested.
“By doing a greater length of watermain assessment we also gain the efficiency of scale by not having to pay setup, mobilization and demobilization costs,” Bomhof elaborated.
Council approved the grant application at the Monday, July 13 regular meeting.
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A 2019 report said the City of Langley distributes water to businesses, institutions and approximately 27,000 residents through 100 km of water mains.
There are 560 fire hydrants in the City.
The total water consumption for 2019 in the City was 3,401,208 cubic meters, slightly down from 3,719,210 cubic meters in 2018 and 3,713,618 cubic meters in 2017.
dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
