With plans to revamp one of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s busiest streets set to begin later this year, the town is adding $1.25 million to the project’s budget to overhaul an aging sewer system.
The Town of NOTL approved the additional funding for the full replacement of a sewer beneath Mississagua Street, which municipal staff say is deteriorating.
The municipality plans to rebuild Mississagua Street from Mary Street to Queen Street, a 1.27-kilometre stretch that serves as one of the main routes into downtown Old Town.
Along with a full reconstruction, the project includes infrastructure upgrades such as improvements to the watermain, sanitary sewer and storm sewer, as well as replacing streetlights and adding bicycle lanes and a new sidewalk. Construction is expected to begin this summer or fall and continue until next spring.
Speaking to council last Tuesday, public works and infrastructure director Jordan Frost said that as the town prepared to begin the project, staff reviewed the sanitary sewer beneath the street and found it was in worse condition than had been “previously understood” during the design phase.
After a review by staff and the town’s engineering consultant, R.V. Anderson Associates Ltd., they determined replacing the sewer would be the most “cost-effective and sustainable solution,” rather than repairing or replacing it later, Frost said.
Council voted in favour of approving staff’s request to add $1.25 million to the project’s budget, with the funding to come from the municipality’s wastewater capital reserve.
About 390 metres of concrete sewer pipe will be replaced. Frost said the town will complete the sewer work before continuing with the rest of the road reconstruction and that the additional work will not extend the project’s timeline.
The municipality’s wastewater capital improvements reserve currently sits at $5.8 million, Frost said. With $1.25 million taken out of the reserve, it would fall to about $4.55 million.
Coun. Sandra O’Connor asked whether the town’s wastewater reserves are in a good position and if this funding request would be “depleting” them. Frost said the reserves are “healthy” and can accommodate the town dipping into them at this rate.
“This is infrastructure that is deteriorating and in a state of needing repair. Whether we do it now or in the future, it is required,” he said. “This doesn’t put us in a state of concern.”
Speaking in favour of approving the $1.25 million expenditure, Coun. Erwin Wiens said he often hears people complain about construction projects being completed only to be torn up and redone later — and that this situation shows a better approach.
“You identified a situation and you did a great job doing that,” he said. “I know it’s not free, but in the long run, penny-wise and pound-foolish, we did it the right way.”
