Recurring water main breaks on a portion of Hespeler Road between Sheldon Drive and Pinebush Road could force the city to move on replacement far earlier than expected.
In a report headed to council this week, city staff says the 400mm watermain between 561 and 611 Hespeler Road was constructed in 1970.
There have been ten watermain breaks in the last three years, with six breaks occurring within the last six months.
With the planned LRT corridor on Hespeler Road, and the age of the watermain, it was originally anticipated that concurrent replacement, or relocation would occur in conjunction with the construction of LRT.
But after considering the recent repair history along the stretch, it appears the section of watermain will require rehabilitation sooner than expected.
Each watermain break forces the city to divert resources and decreases the available operating budget for other work, including preventative maintenance, says the report.
Watermain breaks impact area water customers and disrupt traffic.
"Without immediate intervention and rehabilitation of this watermain section on Hespeler Road, these ongoing disruptions and associated costs will likely continue."
The city is recommending a Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP) trenchless rehabilitation would allow for cost effective rehabilitation of the watermain without requiring major traffic disruption on Hespeler Road. The work would be added to a project about to get underway on Holiday Inn Drive.
Alternatively, staff said if council chooses to defer the rehabilitation work to a future budget cycle, the delay "may lead to increased operating costs considering the ongoing frequency of watermain breaks and increased frustration with water customers and the travelling public."
Staff estimate the work will require $700,000 in additional funding from the Water System Capital Reserve Fund.
Staff noted, however, those increased costs are offset by returns to the reserve fund from existing watermain rehabilitation projects that came in under budget.
A total of $757,000 in water funding is being returned from three separate projects.
