Minto awards $205,000 contract for sewer work

MINTO – Town council here has awarded a $205,420 tender to rehabilitate aging sanitary sewer mains using trenchless technology.

Council approved the sanitary sewer cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) rehabilitation program tender from Insituform Technologies Limited on Oct. 6. The contract price excludes HST.

The work is intended to extend the life of existing sanitary sewer infrastructure, located on Louise St., Adelaide St. and John St. North in Harriston, without requiring extensive excavation or removal of the existing pipe.

According to a report prepared by wastewater services manager Mark Robertson, the sanitary sewer mains included in the project were installed between 1962 and 1972.

The town’s servicing strategy study identified the mains as being “near the end of their useful life” and recommended they be rehabilitated or replaced.

CIPP rehabilitation, according to Robertson, allows the town to renew the existing sewer infrastructure without removing the existing pipe.

The process involves inserting a resin-saturated liner into the existing sewer. The liner is then expanded against the inside of the existing pipe and cured, creating a new, structurally sound pipe within the existing one.

The resulting liner provides a continuous, jointless interior surface intended to restore the structural integrity and serviceability of the sewer.

“The town hasn’t done this technology before,” said Robertson.

“Just because the town hasn’t used this technology before, it is very common in the municipal field to use this process. More so in the last 25 years, it’s been very common, and also had good success.”

He added in his report and he told council CIPP is an established method of rehabilitating municipal wastewater infrastructure and is particularly suited to addressing deterioration, corrosion, infiltration and inflow, as well as deficiencies at joints in existing sewer systems.

The technology was originally developed in the early 1970s, with significant advancements made in the early 2000s involving liner materials, resins, installation equipment, curing methods and structural design, he wrote.

Four contractors submitted prices for the work.

Insituform Technologies submitted the lowest bid at $205,420, based on a unit price of $150 per metre.

Wessec Inc. submitted a bid of $247,492, while Capital Sewer Services Inc. submitted a bid of $248,942. PipeFlo Contracting Corp. submitted the highest bid at $335,300.

Funding for the project was included in the town’s 2026 capital budget.

Councillor Judy Dirksen asked Robertson how thick the liner is and if it reduces the capacity of the pipes at all.

He answered the actual lining material is about a quarter-inch thick. 

He added because it’s being done in a residential area, and they are not doing it on a transmission main, there should not be an effect.

Then, councillor Paul Zimmerman said he had “a goofy question.” 

He asked, “How do you prevent customers from using water, flushing their toilets and stuff while you’re doing this before you cut the access into their services?”

Acknowledging that it was a “good question,” Robertson explained the town will need to work with the contractor while they are on-site to ensure communication with residents is done properly “so everyone knows not to be doing that.”

Deputy mayor Jean Anderson followed up with some other questions, wondering if the pipes have been looked over for any “holes, gaps or cracks” before inserting the new liner.

Robertson assured council members the sanitary systems are flushed and inspected with a camera to find any defects in the pipe, and those will be repaired prior.

Anderson then asked what staff knows about the company they were suggesting for the tender, and what previous work it had done.

“I know we go we go for the lowest price generally, but there’s quite a difference in price. 

“So, I’m wondering what the difference is in the product … why [the price difference] is so big?” Anderson asked.

Although he was unable to speak directly to why the prices varied, Robertson shared staff are tendering late in the year, and whether contractor’s schedules are full or not might have played a part in the gap.

As for Anderson’s other question, Robertson replied, “There’s other local municipalities that have worked with this company, and I’ve spoken
with them, and they’re happy with the products.”

Councillor Ed Podniewicz also had a question “of curiosity,” asking what the cost would be to replace the pipe compared to what was proposed.

Robertson admitted that was a tough question to answer, explaining “it’s all relative. How deep is the sanitary? They’re not all the same.”

He later added, “It’s a mutual benefit. We’re getting a structural one solid piece pipeliner where those leaks can occur, and we’re also increasing the useful life of that asset.”

With no further questions, the recommended motion was carried.