City evaluating sewer relocation options for Spring Creek after inspection delays; emergency repairs remain possible

Consultants and city staff told the Parks Board they are evaluating alternatives for the sewer interceptor that runs through Spring Creek, including the potential to relocate the line outside the preserve.

Brennan Pakenham of the consulting team said CCTV and multi‑sensor inspections by ACE Pipe Cleaning have been slowed by weather and seized manhole lids, and that the team is still gathering data from the pipe inspection. "We're evaluating many alternatives, some of which are just to relocate it out of the preserve," Pakenham said; he said an initial evaluation should be complete by mid‑to‑late summer once inspection data are received.

City and consultant speakers acknowledged the risk of sewer failure during the assessment period and said emergency repairs would require immediate access and could cause additional disturbance. Consultants said where necessary they would take immediate actions to reduce risk but emphasized that planned, deliberate repairs minimize additional harm compared with emergency fixes.

Preservation society members urged that the sewer eventually be removed from the preserve, noting that long‑term design, funding and formal approvals would be required for such a project. City staff and consultants confirmed that relocation would proceed only after further technical evaluation and, if appropriate, separate design and procurement work.