Several upgrades to water services are expected to take place in Meadow Lake later this year (Elliott Knopp/meadowlakeNOW)

By Elliott Knopp

Water Contract

City of Meadow Lake awards Rusway Construction Ltd. 2021 water, sanitary, storm sewer contract

Apr 13, 2021 | 5:33 PM

Meadow Lake city council has agreed to award the 2021 Disaster Mitigation and Adaption Fund (DMAF) East Side Water and Sewer contract to Rusway Construction Ltd.

The Lloydminster-based company came in as the lowest bidder on the contract by nearly $300,000 cheaper than the next bid. Council expects the current $1.8 million price tag to rise to $2.2 million once PST, site inspection and engineering fees, the deficiency holdback and the 2020 DMAF Lift Station Project and the 3.54 per cent contingency budget is included. City documents explain the cost of this project was increased after a 2020 investigation revealed additional road structures should be included in the work.

During the discussion, Mayor Merlin Seymour expressed his approval of Rusway receiving the work, citing the company’s track record of successful developments in Meadow Lake.

“From what Rusway has done for the City over the past six years, I haven’t heard any negative comments,” Seymour said.

City Manager Diana Burton reinforced Seymour’s sentiments by adding Rusway had introduced some innovative methods to the City when working on previous projects.

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The 700 block of Third Avenue West is expected to receive replacements for the water main, storm sewer and sanitary sewer. The 800 block of Third Avenue West is slated for a water main and sanitary sewer replacement, and the 200 block of Fourth Street East is supposed to have the sanitary sewer exchanged.

The funding for this project is being supplemented by the federal government’s DMAF grant to the tune of $877,000, residents will cover just under $17,000 leaving the City to absorb the remaining $1.3 million cost. Council agreed to amend the 2021 budget to reflect the increase in spending, using $35,000 from the budget surplus to cover the additional charges.

When the 2021 budget was passed in December, the City had accounted for a $55,000 surplus in the budget. Following an announcement from the federal government that the gas tax would be doubled, the increased surplus allowed the City to pull funds while keeping the budget in balance. Going through with this approach prevents the City from pushing back the project into future years with the DMAF project already slated as a nine-year development.

The City is expected to send letters to residents providing them with updated cost information, and also to see if there are any more homeowners that would like to have their service lines replaced.

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elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp