Lakeshore Advance, 2013-01-23, Page 11A
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Wednesday, January 23, 2013 • Lakeshore Advance 11
systems go (almost)
Deb Van Brenk
QM' Agency
One major water pipeline is fixed.
One new --- but damaged --- reservoir
is being repaired. Things are looking
up for two key components of Lon-
don's drinking water, present and
future.
*RESERVOIR
multimillion -dollar fix to an enor-
mous London reservoir under con-
struction has resumed, with the con-
tractors' and city's insurer picking up
the considerable tab of the repair.
The massive tanks, their 112-n1il-
lion-hire capacity the equivalent of
almost it city's usage in London, are
expected to lw finished by late sum-
mer, London city engineer John Britain
said.
That's more than two years later
than expected, after a cascade of
delays that began when one of the two
reservoir cells leaked during testing in
2011.
The Teaks made one cell's floor heave
upwards and it also damaged the sup-
port columns and roof. Me result, said
Braam, was "significant damage" to
the reservoir.
Work was all but halted while the
city, construction contractor, facility
designer and insurers all tried to figure
out their next steles.
Work has resumed now that the
insurer has agreed to cover the cost of
the remedial work, Britain said.
It's not known yet just how big a
price tag that will be it had been
estimated in the millions last year --
but, whatever it is, it won't he borne by
Londoners.
"The insurer (las been obligated to
pick up the cost of tett' repairs, Britain
said.
"There's certainly n(1 taxpayer
stoney that's invested with this (repair)
in any case."
Lt's not so clear, though, if the delay
will result in incidental costs that the
funding and insurance won't, or don't,
cove('.
'the project was originally forecast to
cost $57 million, a price tag paid in
part by the city but mostly covered
through a federal and provincial pro-
gram to ensure clean drinking water
systems.
The r'eser'voir would have helped
reduce worries of water shortages
when the Lake 1 furan pipeline sprung
a massive leak last May. instead, Lon-
doners were urged to conserve and to
expect lower water pressure, as more
stress was placed 00 existing reser-
voirs and Lake Erie pipes.
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When the pipeline contract
was first announce(! in 2009,
construction was expected to
take 18 months.
„'there's (been) a lot of turns
that nobody expected," I1raant
said.
The 1lighbury reservoir will
draw water from pipelines fed
by Lake Erie.
In London's northwest end,
the Arva reservoir draws water
from pipes fed by Lake Huron.
THE PIPELINE
It will be years before farm-
land returns to normal produc-
tivity above new repairs in a lith'
that supplies Lake !futon drink-
ing water to 500,000 customers.
An emergency replacement
of two defective sections of pips'
last week went more smoothly
than anyone could have hoped,
and the job finished 18 hours
ahead of schedule, said Andrew
1letlt'y, who manages the Lake
Huron and Elgin area water
supply systems.
Cost of the repairs will be
about $ 1 50,000, he sail)
about one-quarter the price of
an emergency fix last May that
resulted in so much water
gushing from a breached high-
pressure pipe that the site.
became a small-scale lake.
And this time, unlike eight
d((((ens ago, no communities
along the line ran out of water.
"A stitch in time saves hun-
dreds of thousands of dollars of
repairs." henry said.
In this instance, the two sec-
tions hadn't yet ruptured but
testing showed they weren't
structurally sound anymore.
1Vork started a week ago on a
farm field ile'ar Mount (:artnel
northwest of London, as nearby
communities filled up their res-
ervoirs and \%' etre' tanks.
"You plan out everything as
hest as possible but you also
assume' the worst.' 1 h'nry said.
As neatly as 50 people - from
1,82 Construction, 1)ielco Indus-
trial Contractors, the. ()11ta1'io
(:lean ‘Vater Authority and the
City of London - worked from
early morning late. 9 to early
Ian. 10 when the new pipeline
was tested, pressurized and
refilled.
lay noon on Iasi. 10, water vol-
umes in the pipeline and at res-
ervoirs ill participating commu-
nities were back to normal.
"1t was quite it good day. We
got a lot of work done," said
1 Ienry, who's preparing a report
on how the process worked well
and how it might be improved
for next time.
History of the 45 -year-old
pipeline shows there usually is
a next time: this is the third
emergency repair in Tess than
three years and all have taken
Place within a few kilometres of
each other.
It's a lot easier to replace sec-
tions when the lin' is still intact,
even if fragile, 1 noted.
Even so, repairs take their toll
on farm productivity. In con-
trast with the 1980s when soils
and sub -soils were backfilled
together during pipeline con-
struction, repairs to the land
now are as methodical as those
to the pipeline, henry sai(1.
Landowners will be paid seven
years' worth of compensation
for the loss of land productivity
the full value of lost crops for
the first vela', with it diminish-
ing percentage in each the fol-
lowing six years.
\'hat payout from the '2O1'2
pipeline breach and replace-
ment totalled about $130,000.
Thank You from the Bumsteads, the Finkbeiners
and the Alzheimer Society of Huron County
Results of Alzheimer Aware-
ness Events
Coffee flour and Grand
Cove Donations (inc. on-line)
West Coast Lions Club
(Mens)
Grand Bend Fire Dept.
Jan.12 outdoor walk and
Cove cash donations
All of the above brought in
over $2000 that will go to the
Alzheimer Society of Huron
County, which directly bene-
fits the people that need it the
most - those affected by
Alzheitner's Disease and other
dementias, for support, edu-
cation and care.
Special Appreciation to the
following for their help in
making this a successful
campaign:
Social Assistants: Anne
Marie Lord and her wonderful
baking!
Kitchen Aides: Rae Jenkins,
Dorothy Patton, Mary and
George Barr, Betty Waunch, Cove resident!)
llelen Molloy You were all amazing and
Fabulous Beef Chili: Lim made the journey fun and
and Maureen Craig (all worthwhile!
gone!)
Photographers: Bill Francis
and lits Booth
[)rivers: Don and Mary
Margaret Prowse
THANKS TO THE DONORS:
l layters 'Turkey Shop/rest
stop and the tnt'at for the
chili, Siv's Pub and Grill (on #
A very special thanks to the 83) rest stop
walkers: Billy Patton (Roger's Sobeys, No Frills, Shoppers
Nemesis AND mentor!) Drug Mart, Coffee Cultures in
George Jenkins (the collet- Exeter, Capriet of the Cove!,
tor), Les McKnight (in a Huron Park, Exeter, Dash -
trance), Doris and Lorne Ellis woof!, Huron Park and Grand
(awesome couple) Beni lire Depts.
Cassie and Stan Lovie (G.B.
Fire Dept and One Care) I)ar- Remember!!! "Walk for
lene and john (One Care) Memories" Sat., fan 26th
bringing up the rear with 10:00am. at South 1luron Dis-
Stephanie Donaldson (Alzhe- tract I ligh School in Exeter for
imer ambassador for GB) a nice, warns INDOOR walk
Lynda Tullman-Rapley (Lake- around the halls - good exer-
shore Advantage) and our cise and some fun too,
own Bill Welch, Janet Sour- THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
geios (held her own) and THANK YOtJI (hope we didn't
my sister, Rhonda (future miss anyone)