City prepares for water-main repairs

The City of Brandon is preparing to spend $3.5 million to replace 110-year-old water mains this summer.

City council approved the First Street replacements at last week’s regular meeting. The work will start as early as July 6, a city official said.

“The First Street water main project was identified as a pretty big risk within our asset management program. It’s an older, cast-iron water main” that has been in place since the 1910s, said Kyle Winters, the city’s director of engineering services.

There have been “a number of breaks” on the equipment in the last few years, and the project has been bumped up the city’s priority list, Winters said.

The city awarded a $3,214,088 contract to Allen & Bolack Excavating Ltd., which was slightly cheaper than Alternative Landscaping Ltd.’s $3,286,265 bid. However, the total cost of the project has grown to $3.5 million.

The project’s cost was more expensive than originally estimated because the width of the new pipes will be larger than initially planned.

“A little bit bigger pipe to ensure a little bit better pressure and flow in the area,” Winters said.

The First Street water main replacements and additions will take place on First Street between Louise and Van Horne avenues, on Victoria Avenue East between First and Dennis streets, and on Van Horne Avenue East between First and Dennis streets. Additional work, including replacing and adding fire hydrants, will also be completed as part of this project.

Winters described it as a “pretty large scope of work,” which is also further complicated and made more expensive as the Canadian National rail line crosses First Street on the affected stretch of road.

The work is needed to prevent more breaks, which can also impact traffic on the First Street thoroughfare.

“Having a new pipe in place, we’re not going to see any more excavations on First Street and won’t have any of the interruptions to traffic, so super important to get the work completed,” Winters said.

The PVC pipes that will replace the aging water mains have a design life of 80-plus years, and there shouldn’t be more breaks “any time soon,” he said.

The matter came to last week’s council meeting as the cost was more expensive than originally estimated and approved at budget. Council last week approved an additional $500,000 from a reserve for the project.

Winters said the city’s administration believes it’s getting good value for the project.

Mayor Jeff Fawcett last week said it’s good to see the project move forward, and this is a good example of why it’s important to have reserves in place.

“There is times when (bids) do go over, and if we continually take from reserves and don’t ever repopulate them, then situations like this — you can’t do,” Fawcett said.

Crews laboured on water main replacements on a different part of First Street last year. This time, work will continue all the way to next June, but crews will repave the road for over the winter.

Winters said the city can see the deteriorating pavement on First Street. As the road is under provincial jurisdiction, administration hopes the province also recognizes that and will get resurfacing done.

“Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure is planning to meet soon with the City of Brandon to discuss options for future improvements on First Street,” a government spokesperson said.

Manitobans voted First Street as the province’s eighth-worst road earlier this year on CAA’s worst roads campaign.

In 2024, Manitobans voted 18th Street as the province’s worst road, after it was voted the second-worst road in 2023. The provincial government resurfaced 18th Street in 2024 and 2025.

» alambert@brandonsun.com