By Sebastian Kanally, Times Chronicle
Osoyoos will help pay for half the cost of the Seniors Centre sewer line fix, but they are sitting on pins and needles hoping when ground is broken the cost does not skyrocket.
Osoyoos town council agreed at their July 15 meeting to cover 50 per cent of the cost to dig up and repair the sewer line the Osoyoos Seniors Centre Association (OSCA) have been experiencing issues with. The quote they received for the work came in at $4,700.
The lease agreement that the town has with OSCA states clearly that the association is responsible for all maintenance and upkeep. Yet the OSCA “feels that they did not have any issues until the town dug up and removed the old museum and curling club,” according to the report to council.
The quote was to dig up the line from the Senior Centre to the main and replace it with a 4-inch PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) pipe. They had a camera investigate the inside of the line which revealed a severe blockage although they do still have use of the facilities according to town staff.
Where the sewer pipe goes into the building is also located underneath a large cement pad that will have to be dug up.
The town did not have much of an issue with covering the $2,350, but that may not be the full cost when all is said and done.
“We are panicking a little bit,” Rod Risling, Osoyoos Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) said in the meeting.
“The next piece is, which is our concern, is when it becomes the town’s responsibility, from where their imaginary line ends halfway through that parking lot on Gyro Beach all the way up to the storm sewer line close to the Sage . . . If that’s been cracked, if that’s clay tile, we know that’s one of those small lines we will have to up on our priorities as far as replacing it if it’s in rough shape,” Risling explained.
Pictured here is the side door and concrete slap underneath which is the sewer pipe that needs fixing.
Town of Osoyoos photo
The $4,700 quote to fix and replace the sewer line, only covers the Seniors Centre property and to the property line and anything after that is the town’s responsibility.
“I did talk to the contractor and the $4,700 would be a quote where they make their dig, replace the line, and put it back with no issues whatsoever.”
But the town would be “Sitting on pins and needles waiting to see” if there is damage outside of that area, the cost of which the town would then have to take on.
Mayor Sue McKortoff was also worried about this possibility, noting to council that “there are so many unknowns”.
Risling explained that in worst case scenarios this could get up to $50,000 or $100,000.
This also scared councillor Myers Bennett, he commented that “I have some concerns, we are just approving 50 per cent of whatever number, we don’t have a clue . . . it scares me to go and write a blank check, because this could be a $200,000 project”
While town staff were quick to ease the unknown part. The cost of the portion of the pipe on the Seniors Centre property is clear, the town would have to figure out next steps if anything else were to go wrong. So, the commitment they made is actually only half of the $4,700 estimated cost.
McKortoff was also worried about the possible consequences of “why this only started happening once the museum line was capped. I’m wondering if it’s better to have a look at that issue first before we move forward.”
“The whole museum piece might be a bit of a red herring,” Risling explained. There is no proof that is connected.
Part of the town’s worries around the potential “what if’s” are the old infrastructure in the town. Risling also noted that in the recently completed asset management plan, the town did not do a lot of the smaller pipes.
