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City's stinky sewers will cost $450 million to fix, report shows

The city of Edmonton is trying to deal with a lingering foul problem, and fixing it may cost $450 million, a new city report shows.

Neighbourhoods like Bonnie Doon and West Jasper Place have been coping for more than 10 years

CBC News ·
EPCOR has flagged 1,000 projects in more than 150 neighbourhoods that need upgrading. (CBC)

The city of Edmonton is trying to deal with a foul, lingering problem that may cost $450 million to fix, a new city report shows.

The city's deteriorating pipes are creating overwhelming sewer odours for residents in many neighbourhoods.

Coun. Ben Henderson said a major factor is years of urban sprawl. Constituents in places like Bonnie Doon have been coping with the stench for more than 10 years.

"I think we've always known the more stuff we add in Mill Woods and further south, the more pressure goes into that pipe, the more Bonnie Doon pays the price for what's flowing underneath them." Coun. Ben Henderson is frustrated that years have gone by without the city fixing the sewage odour problem. (CBC)

He believes it's only going to get worse unless the city makes some major decisions.  

"I have some impatience on this one," Henderson told EPCOR representatives at a utility committee meeting Monday. "At a certain point we've got to start acting and not studying."

    Three areas are slated for upgrades this summer, including Bonnie Doon along 88th, where crews will install devices aimed at preventing gas flows from reversing and releasing the odours.

    Steinhauer and Duggan are also on the list for traditional upgrades. Pump stations at Twin-Brooks, Blue Quill and Blackburne are undergoing a pilot project, in which EPCOR will add chemicals to the treat the wastewater.

    The director of Drainage Planning with EPCOR, Richard Brown, told the committee that 1,000 projects in 157 neighbourhoods are tagged for upgrades, estimated to cost $400 million to $450 million.

    "We know what we should be doing," Brown told the committee. "It's a matter of funding and how quickly do we want to actually execute those projects."

    The projects aren't paid for, and because of the interlinked nature of odour issues there is "no one singular fix to a particular neighbourhood's concerns," the report said. Richard Brown, director of drainage planning at EPCOR, says fixing the sewer infrastructure will cost hundreds of millions. (CBC)

    Nearly all neighbourhoods listed as areas of concern require several projects to make a difference. 

    EPCOR is set to inspect 23 kilometres of deep trunk lines from Steinhauer to Bonnie Doon to identify sediment deposit, debris and other organic material that have built up over the years.

    Some of Coun. Andrew Knack's constituents in West Jasper Place have lived with the odours for nine years.

      "They just feel like they're never going to see the end of it," he said. "I can't even begin to imagine how frustrating that's been for that long of a time."

      Knack attributes some of the neglect to the early 1990s, "when we had those lovely string of zero per cent tax increases, we also stopped inspecting our sewers on a regular basis."

      Knack said the city started inspecting them again in 2012.

      Brown suggested the city and EPCOR study and decide how best to use the money, over 10, 25 or 40 years.

      "[We're] trying to make sure we get the biggest improvement for the dollars that are spent by the utility on behalf of the ratepayer." 

      EPCOR is expected to report back to the utility committee in the fall with a better idea of costs and timeframe for the work.