Infrastructure News
Did Ontario cancel the infrastructure program?
 | - News on the Net Thursday, March 1, 2012 | Print friendly | Email Us |
Did Ontario cancel the infrastructure program?
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty warned municipal leaders at a conference on Monday that billions of dollars previously earmarked for infrastructure projects are no longer available and that infrastructure programs have been cancelled. This has a number of industry associations “gravely concerned.” Developing…
Toronto votes for open competition, saving money/time
Toronto council voted decisively this month to open up its material specifications to include alternative materials like PVC pipe for large diameter watermains. A staff report noted that this promotes competition, saves cost and time.
Great new resource: The 2011 Municipal Water Use Report
As a municipal leader, do you have questions about rates, or questions about what other municipalities are doing? Environment Canada has released the 2011 Municipal Water Use Report. Amongst the interesting findings? Over 13% of expensive, treated municipal water is lost each year, back into the ground, due to watermain breaks. (You can see some of the damage for yourself at the watermain break clock.)
U.S. water bills to triple?
First high gas prices, now water. A shocking new report about the nation’s crumbling drinking water system says that Americans should expect their bills to double or triple to cover repairs just to keep their faucets pouring. That means adding up to $900 a year more for water.
When you can’t go over or around…
We thought we’d share a neat project story out of St-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. Engineers needed a way to get water from ‘A’ to ‘B,’ but a river is in the way. The solution? They’re fusing over half a kilometre of 450mm PVC pipe and are pulling it under the river. The project will be completed later this month.