Background:

Upon receiving a complaint of a hole in the right of way along Ojibway Parkway, it was discovered that a section of the Ojibway Sanitary Trunk Sewer had collapsed. This trunk sewer services the industrial section from Ojibway Parkway to the Detroit River from Sprucewood Avenue easterly to Black Oak Heritage Park. Immediate measures were put in place and Andrews Engineer contracted to investigate the issue and design a solution. There has since been a second area which has collapsed furthering the need to implement the recommended solution.

While there is funding identified in the 2020 8 year Capital Budget for work on the Ojibway sewer, the funding is in future years. As such, in order to expedite the awarding of the tender once it closes, and any additional unforeseen immediate repairs, Administration is bringing forward this report to request use of this funding.

Discussion:

Council Resolution B57/2020 approved the 2020 Capital Budget funding allocation for capital projects including Project # 7169001 Flood Abatement Measures. Andrews Engineer, who are known around the world as an international expert on trunk sewer inspection and design, were hired to undertake an immediate inspection and condition assessment into the issues surrounding the collapse. This work was procured by Sole Source and the work was undertaken under Contract Order # 5896 and CAOP 107/2020. Their Technical Memorandum submitted under Contract Order # 5896 advised the Corporation that a section of the Ojibway Trunk Sanitary Sewer, including the collapsed section, is in need of extensive rehabilitation in the immediate future and that the rehabilitation planning and execution of the rehabilitation work should be undertaken at first opportunity.

The Public Works Department – Operations Division is proceeding with the tendering of the Ojibway Trunk Sewer Rehabilitation for this construction season. Currently, the collapsed section of sewer is being bypassed with a pump system and this should not continue during the winter season without further work and expense. As noted above a second collapse has been found further escalating the need to address this repair this construction season.

To address the immediate needs and costs resulting from the collapse Administration leveraged up to $200,000 in funding from the Small Sewer repairs funding within the Flood Abatement Program (7169001). The additional cost to implement the longer term solution is estimated at $2,000,000, however the actual cost will not be known until the tender closes. It should be noted that there may be a need for additional temporary measures to be put in place to sustain the asset prior to the rehabilitation being completed as well.

The request to precommit $3,000,000 in 2023 funding from the Ojibway Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation project (ECP-036-07) should be sufficient to replenish the $200,000 in costs to date allowing those funds to be redirected for other small sewer repairs, as well as cover the cost of construction for the recommended solution, any unanticipated additional immediate measures to sustain the asset as well as financing costs. There is however a risk that total costs come in over the $3,000,000 and as such the ability to