Major water main work for Plantagenet neighbourhood
Certain streets in the Village of Plantagenet could be the site of major construction work later this year.
Pending approval of an infrastructure subsidy application, Alfred-Plantagenet Township’s public works department may replace a 1.1-kilometre-long section of eight-inch cast-iron water main. The water main services properties between Water Street and Slater Street. “We’re waiting for the amount (approval) now,” said Marc Daigneault, township chief administrator during a February 9 interview.
Replacing the decades-old water main is a priority item for this year’s capital works plan because of a series of service breaks along that section last winter. Extreme cold temperature periods drove the frost deep below the surface of the ground.
«We had a few (service) failures and a few breaks last year,» explained Daigneault, adding there have been two service failures this season. «This year we’ve been lucky, but we are keeping an eye on it.»
Replacing the old cast-iron water main will cost about $1.2 million. The township’s share of that cost will be just 10 per cent if it can be approved for an infrastructure subsidy.
The cost could even be less if the township can get its Request for Proposal in place early this year. Construction outfits like to fill up their season calendar with contracts as soon as possible, so they tend to be more competitive with their bidding and that can work in favour of the municipal capital budgets.
The township’s $2.4 million capital works portion of the 2018 budget for this year also includes three road upgrade projects, which amount to about 10 kilometres of paving work. They include a 2.3-kilometre section of Concession 1 and a 5.68-kilometre section of Concession 5, both in the Plantagenet areas, and a two-kilometre section of Concession 10 in the Village of Pendleton. This last one is along part of the border with The Nation Municipality, so the two municipalities could share the total cost.