(Photo 65040140 © Olegmalyshev | Dreamstime.com)

By meadowlakeNOW Staff

Water & Sewer

Contractor selected for scaled-back East Side infrastructure project

Apr 28, 2022 | 4:40 PM

The City of Meadow Lake has selected a contractor for infrastructure work on the east side of the community, which will have a portion completed next year instead.

Rusway Construction Ltd. of Lloydminster received the tender for the Disaster Mitigation and Adaption Fund (DMAF) project for infrastructure improvements on the east side of the city earlier this week at council. The company came in with the lowest bid on the project at $2,303,066, more than $500,000 less than the next bidder.

Last year Rusway was awarded the contract for water, sanitary and storm sewer work also related to the DMAF project. At the time, Mayor Merlin Seymour told meadowlakeNOW that they’ve never had any issue with the job Rusway had done on various projects with the city.

However, this project is being downsized slightly for this summer due to a variety of costs. Even this lowest bid was already more than $500,000 over budget, without accounting for site inspection and engineering fees. Many expense have risen as a result of supply chain issues and inflation. As a result, Seymour said the amount of progress made in 2022 is slightly downsized.

“We’ve scaled back the work, so two little sections within the city will not be done this year,”

Writing Group

Writers group host inaugural May 2 at Meadow Lake Library

16h ago

Ekweskeet Healing Lodge

Province announces new detox spaces at Onion Lake Cree Nation

18h ago

Leaving a Legacy

Remembering Ray Mitsuing: A CPCA legend on and off the track

22h ago

Overall, the adjusted scope cost of $2,068,889.98 project cost is split as $1,157,381.99 from the city, $805,295.99 from the DMAF grant and $106,212.00 is the residents’ cost. Of that latter number, 100 per cent of the septic tank removal and 60 per cent of the service connection between the property lines and homes are included in the residents cost, per council’s Feb. 8 2021 resolution.

The DMAF federal grant is providing the funds to address trenching on the east side where water and sewer lines were laid in the same ditch and risk contamination if there ever was a break in either line. Seymour said this project would eliminate that risk.

“That way we don’t have to worry about the sewer getting into the water lines if such a break were to occur,” he said.

The project is still $77,381.99 over budget, but according to the consulting engineer there’s a strong chance for savings and the city’s portion is reportedly planned for borrowing if needed.

“Hopefully that will level out over the next year and make up for what we had to cut back on,” Seymour said.

The project is expected to run for 10 years.

—

cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @meadowlakeNOW