Emergencies are dictating the direction of the City of Flin Flon’s plan to upgrade municipal water and sewer lines.
So said Coun. Bill Hanson, responding to questions last week about whether the city has a long-term plan for pipe replacements.
After stating that the city does not have a crystal ball, Coun. Hanson said there is indeed a plan.
“We do have a list of what we would like to replace, and we actually do get to some of that,” he said. “But what dictates what we replace most of all is what breaks.”
Coun. Tim Babcock said the city has a list of infrastructure projects, worth about $12 million, “that need to be done right now, that we shouldn’t wait another day to replace.”
“But we have to,” he added. “It might take us 10 years to get to those $12 million worth of things that need to be done right now.”
Coun. Colleen McKee said “attempts are being made to be proactive versus reactive, but because we have an 80-year-old infrastructure that we’re dealing with, we’re not there yet.”
Coun. Hanson estimated, in rough terms, that at the current pace it will take the city until 2040 to replace all of the old piping with plastic lines.
The comments came in response to questions from taxpayer advocate Blair Sapergia, who suggested the city begin by replacing its oldest pipes and go from there.
Coun. Hanson implored Sapergia to consider the “proactive things” that the city has done in recent years.
In an interview, Coun. Hanson said the city council of 20 years ago – of which he was a member – was not nearly as aggressive in replacing sewer and water lines as the current council.
He said the city is also using its own crews far more often for such projects rather than hiring contractors.
Coun. Hanson said this has delivered higher quality work because the city has more control.
Today’s council also ensures there is pipe in storage for projects, he said, whereas in the past the city ordered pipe as needed.
“I would say that the last three councils have been very proactive when it comes to water and sewer replacements,” he added.
