Water and Sewer Capital Projects
Residents adjacent to utility works should expect temporary disruption to their water and/or sewer services. Typically, disruptions will be scheduled for mid-day outside of peak usage times and will not last more that a day.
For sewer main replacement, when the transfer is made to switch your service line on to the new main, contractors will ask that you limit your water usage on that day to reduce sewer flow through the lines, for example, by not running washing machines, etc.
Bauman Street & Carter Place
The purpose of this project is to replace aging or damaged water and sewer mains, this includes installing new manholes and installing new and/or upgrading water main shut off valves.
Following the May long weekend, crews began on Bauman Street. Crews will be finishing construction on Bauman prior to moving on to Carter Place.
2nd St. West and 7th Avenue West
The purpose of this project is to replace aging or damaged sewer mains, this includes installing new manholes.
Originally scheduled to take place this year following the work on the East side of the City, the schedule was changed to to growing issues with the sewer main. Construction begins Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Beginning with the replacement of the manhole in the intersection of 7th Avenue West and 2nd St. West, and then the sewer main replacement on 2nd St. West.
East Side Infrastructure Project
Funded by the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF)
Following the May long weekend, Crews will be continuing on with the City’s multi-year project to upgrade Meadow Lake’s oldest water and sewer infrastructure project. This year’s work consists of 2 construction locations, 6th Street East between 2nd and 3rd Avenue and 5th Street East between 1st and 3rd Avenue. Crews will complete the construction on 6th Street before moving on to 5th Street.
View the interactive map below to find the 2024 water and sewer worksites.
Paving & Sidewalks
The purpose of this project is to restore aging and damaged pavement to improve the surface of the road. Crews will begin work on this project August.
700 & 800 Blocks of 3rd Avenue West
The City has scheduled our 2024 paving project to begin in August. Paving will follow the work SaskEnergy will be doing to replace the gas line that borders your property. At this time, the City has not received a timeline from SaskEnergy as to when they will begin their works, our assumption is that it will take place sometime in July. Questions regarding the replacement of the gas line should be directed to SaskEnergy at 1-800-567-8899.
View the interactive map below to find the 2024 paving and sidewalks worksites
Repair Work
We generally perform annual maintenance on hydrants throughout the city. While we anticipate minimal disruption to residents, some temporary water discoloration may occur when hydrants are flushed. Information on the work area for 2023 will be provided once the work is scheduled.
Annual Watermain Flushing Maintenance
We generally perform annual watermain flushing. This process will create very discolored water as built up sediment is removed from the water lines. Residents should be aware of the following:
- Avoid doing laundry while your street is being flushed, as this process can cause laundry staining
- Avoid using water while flushing is happening in your area, as this can draw the debris filled water into your hot water tank and lines in your house
- Once flushing is done in your area, run a cold water tap until the line runs clear. If your water hasn't cleared after 10 minutes, contact City Hall with your address so we can follow up.
- Flushing may cause temporary drops in water pressure. Minimizing water use where possible will help with pressure throughout the water system.
Construction FAQs
My road is closed, how do I put my garbage/recycling out?
Residents directly adjacent to a closed road are to leave their carts as close to their normal pick-up location as possible (without placing it in the worksite) prior to 7:30AM on the usual day of collection. The Department of Public Works will move your bin to outside of the worksite where the bins will be emptied.
What do I do when there are traffic and street/driveway access restrictions?
While construction is underway, the road will be closed. Residents may park in their back alley or on a neighbouring street. If you are experiencing difficulty accessing your property during construction, our contractors may assist you in finding a suitable place to park or contact City Hall for assistance.
When will my road be paved after utility work?
In most cases, worksites are paved the year after utility work is done. For small portions of roads that have been dug up due to private utility digs the road will be patched, referred to as "utility patching", for larger excavations that span the majority of the road, a full rehabilitation of the road will be carried out the following construction season.
After utility work takes place, paving is done the next year to allow the ground to settle naturally prior to applying pavement. This means no extra compaction is needed to prepare the ground for pavement, reducing the cost of the project overall.
Will my street be put on a boil water advisory?
Precautionary Drinking Water Advisories (PDWA) are issued when there are concerns about the quality of drinking water that may not pose an immediate threat to public health, such as microbial contamination. These advisories are a preventive measure to protect residents from potential health risks associated with drinking water that might be compromised.
Generally, a PDWA can be expected when the water distribution system must be opened (meaning the inside of the water line is exposed leaving it vulnerable to contamination) either due to a break, line replacement or maintenance, if the water is shut off for an extended period of time, or if there is a problem with the water treatment process. If a PDWA is issued, you will receive a separate notice informing you of it coming into effect, as well as instructions on how to manage your water usage during the advisory.
After putting a PDWA into effect, and once work on the water system is completed, water samples are collected and sent to the Water Security Agency for testing. PDWAs remain in effect until authorities are confident that the water is safe to drink again, at which point you would receive a final noticing informing you that the advisory has been lifted.
Active PDWAs are listed on the City's website here: meadowlake.ca/p/drinking-water-advisories
My water was shut off and now it's discoloured, what do I do?
Residents see discoloured water on occasion when water moves quickly through the watermain. This can happen if a hydrant is opened, water was shut off and turned back on, or during unidirectional flushing (regular maintenance on water mains). This happens because minerals from the water settle in the lines over time and when disturbed mixes with the clear water turning it brown.
Discolored water should not be used for drinking, food preparation, or other activities that require clean water. While the City's water is strictly tested against bacteria and harmful agents, using discolored water is not pleasant and may cause laundry staining.
If discolored water is being caused by flushing or maintenance in your area, wait until the work has completed and then run a cold water through your bathtub or outdoor faucet for one to two minutes until the water runs clear again (Running a hot water tap may pull sediment into your hot water tank). If your water doesn’t clear after a couple of hours, please report it to the City so that we may investigate and try to determine the root cause of the discoloration.
Projects & Service Updates:
