The town will have to fast-track a sewer replacement scheduled for next year, after an engineer uncovered weaknesses in the underground pipes.
Collingwood’s director of engineering, public works, and environmental services, Peggy Slama, told the development and operations committee yesterday a portion of the Leisure Time Club and DunnCap building parking lots have been blocked off to keep cars from parking over the compromised storm sewers.
“In April, we received an engineers opinion on the integrity of the [storm] sewer running under the Leisure Time Property (Minnesota Street) and under 70 Huron Street [Dunncap],” said Slama. “The sewer is compromised in some sections, and the engineer was concerned about the weight over the sewer.”
The 1.8 metre-wide, dual elliptical sewers run underneath a portion of the parking lots, and the engineer’s report recommended preventing any external weight over the sewer.
“The concern was having vehicles drive over or park overtop of the sewer,” said Slama. “We have isolated some of the parking spots so that is prevented.”
The town has fenced off a portion of each parking lot until the sewer pipes can be replaced.
The town had already identified the need to replace the storm sewer system on Minnesota Street. Construction work for the first phase (including the pipes under the parking lots) was set to begin in 2021 and be spread out in phases over three to four years to include the replacement of sewers running west of Minnesota Street. The 2020 budget already included money for detailed design for the replacement.
“Staff has asked for an expedited design,” said Slama.
She noted she would be bringing a staff report to council soon including engineered estimates for the project cost, and will be asking council to advance the 2021 budget allocation for the project.
“We hope to proceed with replacement construction this year,” said Slama.
The town has applied for infrastructure funding for the entire project, but the application has not yet been reviewed.
Whatever money the town spends on the project before infrastructure funding is approved will not be recovered through the funding.
The storm sewers were put in place before both the Leisure Time Club and the Dunncap building were constructed.
Slama said storm sewer pipes under parking lots is “not that uncommon” and municipal storm drains are required to be inspected on a regular basis. “I believe once every three years,” she said.
Acting CAO Sonya Skinner said the storm sewer is part of the town’s asset management work, which includes cataloguing each of the town’s assets and estimating their lifespan.
“This is an example of good engineering practice,” said Skinner. “The fact that it was looked at, and not that there was half a pickup truck in a hole in someone’s parking lot, was something that proves the worth of a proactive asset management plan.”
The information from Slama was provided as a verbal update to the committee, and she expects to bring a staff report to council and committee once the engineered cost estimates are complete.
