The Blue Mountains council has approved a single source purchase/contract for the replacement of a specialized water intake pipe.
At its committee of the whole meeting on Oct. 8, council approved spending up to $85,000 for the supply and replacement of the water system’s intake chlorine line.
In a report, staff recommended the installation of the line be completed by General Diving Contractors Inc., a firm that regularly works with the town and has extensive knowledge of the town’s intake system. For years, the company has inspected the town’s intake crib and outfall effluent on an annual basis.
“The current line is at the end of its life and has begun to fail,” said Allison Kershaw, the town’s manager of water and wastewater services.
Kershaw told council the town’s intake crib is unique and said the familiarity General Diving Contractors Inc. have with the system will be a big help on the project.
The intake chlorine line extends from the town’s water treatment plant to the intake crib 570 metres offshore. It is necessary to treat the town’s drinking water and is the start of the process to disinfect the water coming into the plant. The line also provides zebra mussel control. If the line failed, the town would not be able to produce drinking water that meets provincial standards.
The $85,000 cost of the project was included in the 2024 budget. Kershaw explained to council that the work would be done quickly once the new pipe is on hand. She said the town would complete the replacement during a slower time of the year for the water system after topping up all the town reservoirs.
Council approved the request in a unanimous vote.
