A new underground waterline will need to be installed between the South Corman Park School, the adjacent community hall, and the Dundurn Rural Water Utility pumphouse on Grasswood Road.
Work on the new pipeline is likely to begin in January or February, according to Corman Park Division 2 Councillor John Saleski.
The new line will replace an existing water pipeline that has been found to be leaking an estimated 500 to 600 gallons per hour. The water losses are adding up to thousands of dollars per month.
The existing pipeline, originally installed in 1988, connects the pumphouse with the South Corman Park School and the ‘Log Cabin’, a hall adjacent to the school that is operated by the South Corman Park Community Association (SCPCA). While the existing pipeline is connected to the DRWU pumphouse, the water in the line is supplied directly by SaskWater, not the DRWU. The line was constructed prior to the existence of the DRWU, which began in 2009-10.
“There’s a break somewhere along the pipeline,” said Saleski in an interview December 19. “It’s anybody’s guess how it happened, but apparently it’s been getting progressively worse over time.
“The maintenance people from the school division and from SaskWater have not been able to pinpoint the source of the leak so far.
“The word from SaskWater is that it will be cheaper to put in a new line than to try and repair the old one. The new line will tie in to a DRWU drip line on Baker Road.”
Both the school and the Log Cabin hall will have to get their own connections, and separate water meters and curbstops, to the DRWU drip line on Baker Road.
“That’s going to cost each several thousand dollars,” said Saleski. “It will also mean both the Log Cabin and the school will have to have tanks installed in their basements; because the drip system is not pressurized. The old pipeline was pressurized.”
Saleski said it’s an unfortunate situation for the community association, which is made up of volunteer residents who live in the area. He added he’s encouraging the community association to apply to the RM of Corman Park for Municipal Reserve funding to help offset the cost of the infrastructure upgrade.
“It’s going to put pressure on the finances of the community association, unfortunately,” said Saleski. “It’s a non-profit community organization. It will cost at least $15,000 just for the water connection fee, and then there’s the cost of the tanks as well.”
The SCPCA receives income from rentals of the Log Cabin to groups and individuals for private functions. Saleski said the building has been booked for several functions over the Christmas break, and arrangements have apparently been made to allow those events to be held.
However, the Log Cabin will be closed for at least a one-week period once those events are over, so that the water can be shut off.