Potentially serious environmental damage was averted along the new $38 million wastewater line between Olds and Bowden when inspectors discovered leaks during potable water testing last spring – a month before wastewater was scheduled to be pumped through new pipes.
The discovery resulted in the contractor, Hamm Construction, agreeing to take full responsibility for the work failure and finance the entire repair bill of more than $2 million. Hamm has also agreed to reimburse the South Red Deer Regional Wastewater Commission (SRDRWC) for all lost revenues – estimated to be about $180,000 - until all repairs are completed and the line is fully operational, now expected by either the end of August or early September.
“We are taking full responsibility as one of our sub-trades unfortunately did not follow proper procedure for installing those electric fusion couplings,” said Bob Hamm, president of Hamm Construction, which is based in Saskatoon. “We've had some failures and we are currently fixing them all up, and actually even exceeding the requirements by putting additional repair coupling overtop the coupler there as well.”
The Olds-Bowden line, the third phase of the ambitious and long-awaited $138- million regional wastewater project was originally scheduled to be fully operational on June 1, diverting up to 2,000 cubic metres of wastewater a day towards Innisfail. However, potable (drinking) water testing in April and mid-May uncovered a serious problem.
“Normally this line should have been tested in two weeks, and it was taking an abnormally long period of time. We stepped back and said, ‘Something is wrong here',” said John Van Doesburg, wastewater project manager.
“When we started testing the line we started getting leaks, and this is unacceptable, because when it will have wastewater it would be really unacceptable,” added Van Doesburg. “We were getting a failure rate of too much. One out of seven was failing on us.”
He said the public and everyone involved in the project is fortunate the problems were discovered when potable testing was done before wastewater was pumped through the new pipes.
“We never had wastewater in there. Let's be very clear about that. We test only with potable drinking water so if there is a leak there is no environmental damage,” said Van Doesburg.
“We can deal with water but when you deal with wastewater you have a different situation,” he added. “It is contaminated and you have to deal with it in an environmental sense. It is a much more extreme case of repairing and cleanup.”
For the Olds to Bowden line, electrofusion couplers were used to fuse two pipes together – one sewage force main and a water main - to form a consistent joint to prevent any leaking. However, the spring tests showed there was a failure rate of 15 per cent on 61 couplers checked by inspectors.
“Our position was to change them all out. Every one of those 61 is getting the review and there is a certain type of repair that is being done on each one of them. That is what is costing about $2 million,” said Hamm, adding the ones that had no problems are being reinforced with a dura-type coupler.
Hamm said the company's sub-contractor for the project, Wolseley Engineered Pipe Group - responsible for the original coupler installation, has also accepted its responsibility and is working closely with all parties to ensure the project's ultimate completion and success.
“We just felt at the end of the day we could not have any type of failures. That is why we are going over and above to make sure that doesn't happen,” said Hamm.
He said a positive test was achieved on stage one of the repairs earlier this month. “We are working on stage two right now. Those are the two big ones, one and two – 43 of the 61 couplers,” said Hamm. “Once we get those two stages wrapped up it will be cleared up pretty quick after that.”
He said the wastewater line should be ready for operation by the end of the month or early September.
Meanwhile, Dennis Cooper, chairman of the SRDRWC, said the board is satisfied with Hamm's proactive response.
“I think we have learned a lot and they've learned a lot and the contractors hopefully will get better at it. They realize our testing procedure is quite strenuous and they have to do it right,” said Cooper. “And I think they (Hamm) don't want to go back and dig things up. Everybody is going to work harder to make sure they just do it once and that is it.”
The delay caused by the repair work to the Olds-Bowden line has also forced the commission to pump more effluent out of Innisfail. On July 22, Innisfail town council agreed to increase its daily effluent rate of 500 cubes to 2,500 cubes, which will be done gradually through the wastewater line to Penhold.
“Olds is late because of this setback, so they have asked Innisfail if they can draw ours down a little quicker but we still won't take more than what was budgeted for 2013,” said Innisfail Mayor Jim Romane, a SRDRWC board member.
When repairs to the Olds-Bowden line are completed, the project focus will then be on finishing the Penhold to Red Deer line. Prior to the Olds-Bowden line, work was completed on the Innisfail to Penhold extension. The project's end goal is having the entire line from Olds to Red Deer finished by the last quarter of 2014 or the first quarter of 2015.
In July, Alberta Transportation agreed after lengthy negotiations with SRDRWC to provide the necessary funding to complete the project, with the province picking up 90 per cent of the total $138-million cost.
'When we started testing the line we started getting leaks, and this is unacceptable, because when it will have wastewater it would be really unacceptable.'John Van Doesburg, wastewater project manager'We are taking full responsibility as one of our sub-trades unfortunately did not follow proper procedure for installing those electric fusion couplings.'Bob Hamm, president of Hamm Construction
