WorkSafe BC has ordered a halt to construction of the 216 Street leg of a $33.5 million 91原创 Township project to bring Metro Vancouver water to Aldergrove and Gloucester.
91原创 Township general manager of engineering and community development Ramin Seifi said work on the pipeline was shut down by the provincial workplace safety regulator on June 21 because of a disagreement over the contractor鈥檚 plans to have people work inside the three-foot diameter pipe.
Seifi was responding to a question by Councillor David Davis at the Monday afternoon meeting of council.
In response to a question from Councillor Kim Richter, Seifi estimated the setback will delay completion of the 216 Street section about four to six weeks, but should not affect the overall project because work on other aspects is continuing.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e just not laying any pipe,鈥� he said.
In an email response to a follow-up query by The Times, Township water resources and environment manager Kevin Larsen said the stop work order 鈥渃ould not necessarily have been anticipated in our opinion.鈥�
鈥淚t is our understanding that past industry practice (design and construction of this type) has been similar to our project,鈥� Larsen added.
鈥淭he project team was notified by WorkSafe BC that this project was selected for further scrutiny than other past projects of a similar nature.鈥�
The contractor, Pedre Contractors Ltd. of 91原创, did not respond to a Times request for comment.
About two kilometres of a seven-kilometre stretch of pipe had been installed at the time of the stop work order.
The WorkSafe inspection report that led to the order said the contractor 鈥渉as not prepared and effectively implemented a confined space entry program at this jobsite,鈥� calling the written safety procedures 鈥渓acking in detail for each work activity and very difficult to read and confusing.鈥�
The 鈥減ipeline was not effectively ventilated,鈥� the report said.
WorkSafe inspectors wanted an increase in the number of manholes 鈥渇or the purpose of ventilation, respiratory protection, rescue and etc.鈥� while Pedre argued the extra hatches would breach the pipe warranty, slow the speed of construction and 鈥渨ill increase the chance of bacterial contamination鈥� of the drinking water.
The East 91原创 Water Supply project is the biggest project ever undertaken by the Township of 91原创鈥檚 engineering department.
It involves 14 kilometres of water main and a booster pump station.
Phase 1 will run a one-metre diameter steel water main between Willoughby and Murrayville following 72 Avenue, 210 Street, Worrell Crescent, 216 Street, 56 Avenue, and 224 Street.
Work started May 1 and is scheduled to run Monday to Friday until December of this year.
East 91原创 is currently served by seven groundwater wells.
Every summer, when usage peaks, water restrictions have to be enforced.
The Aldergrove Community Plan projects increased demand for water, with the population in the area growing from 12,000 to 20,000 people over the next 20 to 30 years.
