Resident 'shocked' by soiled sewer pipes left under Northland homes
Condo board acknowledges concerns raised, says it was told by city work wasn't part of contract
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Friday, July 10, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Old, unsealed sewer pipes left in the crawl spaces of homes in Northland Trailer Park after new ones have been hooked up has residents of the neighbourhood crying foul.
Chris Thorne holds a section of sewer pipe that was left under his Northland Trailer Park home by a contractor as the neighbourhood's water and sewer lines are replaced. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo |
In a series of e-mails forwarded to media, resident Chris Thorne states he's "shocked" by the work which he and the president of the Condo Corporation No. 8 board - the governing body of the neighbourhood - says could be a health risk.
"It's just not acceptable," Thorne said from his Fairchild Crescent home where he's lived for about 10 years. As one example of the health risk, he said a cat could explore the unsealed pipe under its family home and then bring the contaminants inside. The neighbourhood is in the midst of a three-year, multi-million-dollar water and sewer infrastructure replacement project. The city has been mum on whether the project remains on budget. Condo members will carry the cost with taxpayers covering overruns beyond the $15.9 million budgeted.
Just why the pipes have not been removed is unclear.
Tamlin Gilbert is the president of the condo board and has been fielding complaints from residents about the work.
An e-mail Gilbert sent on behalf of the condo board to its members June 30 states the city is aware of the pipes being left under the homes "and is OK with it."
Yellowknifer sought to confirm that with city hall.
"I have no comment on this, other than complaints are dealt with immediately when we are aware of them," said Chris Greencorn, the director of public works and engineering.
Gilbert said the issue was addressed by a city official during a meeting with residents earlier this year. While Gilbert wasn't there, he told Yellowknifer the official stated the pipe removal and sealing was not part of the contract. The contractor is RTL Robinson Enterprises Ltd.
"The city was quite clear at the meeting with the members about its position," Gilbert said.
If it isn't part of the contract, he said he can see why the subcontractor, Wiseman's Plumbing & Heating, would not take on the added burden of removing the pipe and taking it to the dump.
"It adds greater expense to the project cost," he said, adding that in an ideal world it would be hauled away. Asked if he believed it was an oversight to not include the pipe removal, Gilbert said he didn't.
"It's a question of tidying up. It's a question of who's going to notice it," he said.
Thorne, who has plumbing experience and used to work as a contractor himself, said he didn't think he'd have to crawl under his home to double check the work of the contractor.
"I'm glad now that I did and found what I found," Thorne said.
Yellowknifer reached Bob Wiseman of Wiseman's Plumbing & Heating for comment.
"I'm not answering any questions," he said before Yellowknifer could tell him the reason for the call, and then he hung up.
Yellowknifer also reached out to RTL Robinson Enterprises Ltd. The receptionist said all media calls regarding Northland should go to the City of Yellowknife.
