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The cost of fixing water main breaks is leading Regina city council to request an analysis on whether the city could speed up the replacement of a type of pipe that is prone to breaking in Regina’s soil – and is also said by some to pose a cancer risk.
It’s not the first time the question of Regina’s asbestos cement pipes has come up, as those pipes make up just under half of Regina’s total water infrastructure.
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Asbestos cement pipe is also the kind of pipe most likely to break as Regina’s clay-based soil expands and contracts.
So far, the city has found it challenging to meet its target of replacing 10 kilometres of the piping each year.
Julian Branch has been advocating for the pipes to be replaced for several years, citing research that shows that the pipes can break and cause asbestos fibres to enter the water supply.
“We know asbestos is a group-one carcinogen. We’ve known that for decades,” Branch said. “We know it causes cancer. It’s recognized as carcinogenic by every organization in the world.”
Branch noted there is a debate about the risks of inhaling versus ingesting the asbestos fibres, and his advocacy runs counter to the federal government’s stance.
“There’s no consistent, convincing evidence that asbestos ingested through drinking water is harmful to your health,” Health Canada stated on its website.
Branch said that guidance comes from the World Health Organization, and is a “very, very high evidentiary bar” to overcome.
“Other jurisdictions are moving on this,” he told reporters. “I think, given what we know from the studies that we did here in Regina decades ago, that we should be moving quickly.”
The motion, put forward by Ward 8 Councillor Shanon Zachidniak, asks for a report in the fourth quarter of the year to outline the implications of expediting the timeline for replacing the pipes. It suggests scnearios of 10, 15 and 20 kilometres of replacement per year. The report will also detail potential funding options for the replacement, including money from higher levels of government.
Mayor Chad Bachynski said the analysis will be helpful as councillors try to set budget priorities for the city.
“I’m interested more in the overall look at it when we get that report back, to kind of see what the trade-offs would be,” he said.
As for potential health concerns, Bachynski said the city has to take its guidance from the proper authorities.
“I’ve said before with other matters that we have to pick a line in the sand,” he said. “And Health Canada is the line in the sand, (and) we have to go with our experts. We have to go with the experts that we rely on to make those decisions.
“If things change, if information changes, new information comes about, then we’ll change as needed. But at the end of the day I’m really looking at this in terms of what we heard today, (which) was around the breakage rates of those pipes versus the cost to replace those pipes.”
Bachynski cited lead pipes of an example of a situation where the city knows it has to take action and has done so.
Council passes ‘early-adopter’ program for food and yard waste recycling
Meanwhile, council has approved an update to the early adopter program aimed at getting more residents in multi-unit residential properties recycling food and yard waste, along with occupants of commercial, industrial and institutional buildings.
Multi-family building owners can apply for a rebate for green carts or reimbursement for capital investments.
Jeff Campbell, of the Canadian Condominium Institute, said he’s in favour of the changes.
“We have 926 condominium owners that have been put in a pickle, and this is a way out for them,” he told councillors. “Some of them have already done some of the work.”
He said building owners in Regina seem to be interested.
“We actually are getting a lot of information now from property owners that own multi-family homes that are saying, ‘Hey, how are you guys doing this? It seems to be working really well,’” Campbell said.
Bachynski says it’s encouraging to find a way to break through hurdles through collaboration.
“When I look at the increases to those incentives to get more residences on board, onto our programs, it makes sense,” he said.
Mayor confident about decision-making process after CFO’s departure
Bachynski said he’ll miss Daren Anderson, who recently resigned as Regina’s deputy city manager and chief financial officer, but he remains confident in the city’s decision-making process.
“I think we’ve got a great structure going on,” he said.
“Sad to see someone leave like that with a lot of experience, and it has brought a lot of good things to the table.”
Bachynski said things have been set up well for city business to carry on without Anderson.
“This is a part of business. People come and go, but we’re in a good spot,” the mayor said.
Bachynski said he expects information to come forward in the next week or so about the search for find a new city manager.
“We’ll be going through a process here, and more information should be coming out pretty quick,” he said.
Council voted to fire former city manager Niki Anderson last year. City clerk Jim Nicol has been serving in the city manager role on an acting basis since then.
Bachynski said the city has been going through the proper steps in the hiring process.
“It’s not that it’s taken this long; it’s that it takes this long,” he said.
