For the first time in five years, the Town of Black Diamond is making its crumbling infrastructure a priority.
Black Diamond Town council voted on Feb. 1 to go ahead with four infrastructure replacement and rehabilitation projects this year with an estimated price tag of $3 million.
Sharlene Brown, chief administrative officer, said the Town is running at a 40 to 45 per cent water loss, and the aging infrastructure is one of the culprits.
“It took us a long time to get the infrastructure deficit we currently have and it will take a long time to get out of it,” she said. “You have to ensure you are diligent about moving the underground infrastructure ahead. It’s very expensive to do. If we bite off a little bit at a time we will be able to get somewhere and see some success.”
The cost will be covered by grants and capital reserves, and potentially borrowed funds and offsite levies, said Brown.
“We have to see if this is a contributing area to the whole town,” she said. “If it is we might be able to utilize offset levies for it. We will know this spring when the scope of work is designed and ready.”
Brown said some of the underground infrastructure dates back to the 1940s.
The Town hasn’t replaced any since 2012 as the focus was on flood protection, remediation and mitigation work following the southern Alberta flood in 2013.
With flood-related work almost complete, Brown said it’s time to address its infrastructure.
The four projects were selected based on engineering studies, said Brown, such as pressure testing to determine the potential loss of pressure and listening testing to hear what’s beneath the ground.
“If there is a sound that arises from pipe testing there is another concern for a leak and therefore indicates that the area needs to be dug up and taken a look at,” she said.
One project is replacing water and sewer lines from Parkview Crescent to Parkview Close.
“There’s an indication based on the amount of work that has gone up there through water main fixes, listening and sewer videos that this particular area has had to be placed on a priority infrastructure capital plan,” Brown said, adding the development was done in the 1960s.
Another project is replacing water and sewer lines, and rebuilding the road, on 5th Avenue SW from 1st to 3rd Street.
The infrastructure was prioritized based on water loss and degradation of pipes, said Brown, adding it’s one of the older sections of town.
She said sewer line videoing shows the pipes are old and need replacing.
“I’m not going to say there is leaks for sure,” she said. “There is indication that there might be but there is not proof that there is. You can make an assumption because of the age of the pipe and the condition.”
Looking at underground water leaks can be like looking for a “needle in a haystack,” said Brown, yet the condition of the road could show potential water issues in a particular area.
Replacing about a block of water pipeline in the back lane behind the municipal office is another priority this year, indicated as a potential problem due to the deterioration of the gravel road, said Brown.
The final project is injecting a waterproof lining material in two blocks of the sanitary pipes on 2nd Avenue NW, said Brown.
