Council reviews storm water plan

Yorkton Council was given an update on the City's Storm Water Management initiatives during its regular Committee-of-the-Whole meeting Monday.

Gord Shaw, Director of Planning & Engineering with the City, explained that several issues must be factored in to any plan, including how "continued development adds to storm water flows into receiving bodies."

And, "flat topography makes drainage difficult," he added.

At present the City is undertaking two separate projects, said Shaw'

A study in 2009 "identified storm water ponds and channels along Dracup Avenue to detain storm water from Yellowhead subdivision and areas south of Broadway Street," he said.

"Yorkton West Storm Study in 2011 identified a comprehensive solution for the western area of the community. The findings from this study are being reviewed and a second report will be available in 2012."

The Dracup Avenue Storm Water Ponds and Channel project is currently under construction.

The total budget for the first pond is estimated at $1,353,542, said Shaw.

Total construction price for all three ponds and channels is estimated at $4.3 million (March 2011 estimate).

Work is progressing well, said Shaw.

"Rough grading of storm pond substantially completed," he said, adding the storm channel has been stripped of organic materials, and the formation of berm has commenced.

The City's West Storm Drainage Plan is also being implemented, offered Shaw.

The options selected for the plan include:

Re-grading the Victoria Avenue ditch;

Replacing existing culverts on Victoria Avenue ditch and York Road crossing;

Upgrade several downtown storm mains;

Installing larger sized storm main between the area south of Broadway Street and north of Broadway Street;

Construct storm water pond at Brodie Avenue.

These improvements will reduce the hydraulic grade line throughout the pipe and ditch system. This should allow the street network to drain more effectively, explained Shaw.

A specific project in the Brodie Pond was tendered in September to Curtis Construction Ltd. at a cost of $311,800, said Shaw. Rough grading of the pond will occur in the coming months, with finished landscaping to occur in summer 2012.

This pond will be a "dry pond," meaning that it will detain water for a short time and then slowly release to the pipe network, said Shaw.

Total project cost is estimated at $2.2 million.