Summary#
Montréal city council approved a contract with Insituform Technologies Limited to reline about 4.5 kilometres of sewer pipes in six boroughs. City staff say the work is intended to renew sewer infrastructure, with less disruption than replacing pipes by excavation.
- The work covers streets in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Anjou, L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève, Montréal-Nord, Pierrefonds-Roxboro and Saint-Laurent.
- Insituform received the contract for $2,972,000, taxes included. The council also authorized contingency and related costs, bringing the maximum total to $3,318,238, taxes included.
- The public call for tenders received three bids. Insituform was the lowest compliant bidder, with a bid 14.21% below the city’s estimate.
- The council required the city to evaluate Insituform’s performance. Late completion carries a penalty of 0.1% of the contract price per day, excluding taxes and contingencies, and at least $1,000 per day.
What it means for you#
- Residents and road users in the six boroughs: Sewer work is scheduled from March 2026 to January 2027. The materials do not give the street-by-street locations or specific traffic effects.
- Taxpayers: The city authorized a maximum project cost, including contingencies and related costs. The available information says part of the work qualifies for a subsidy; it does not show the share of the project that qualifies.
- Other residents: The decision does not create a new service or require residents to apply or take action.
Money#
The council authorized a maximum of $3,318,238, taxes included; the cost after tax rebates is stated as $3,029,993.58.
- This includes the $2,972,000 contract, $297,200 for contingencies and $49,038 for related costs, including professional and technical services.
- The expense is allocated to the city centre and the Direction de la gestion des actifs under borrowing bylaw 22-046. The materials say an eligible part of the work is funded at 96% through TECQ24; the remaining part has a net cost of $121,199.74, paid by taxpayers.
- The full amount is a maximum authorization; the materials do not say how much of the contingency or related-cost budgets will be spent.
What is unclear#
- The supplied materials do not list the streets where work will occur or explain the likely local traffic effects.
- They do not state what share of the project qualifies for TECQ24 funding.
- The work schedule is given, but the materials do not provide a detailed schedule for each location.
Case for#
- City staff say relining can renew more pipes at lower cost and in less time than excavation, while reducing disruption, soil disposal and greenhouse gas emissions.
- The winning bid was 14.21% below the city’s estimate, and the three submitted bids were all compliant.
- Staff say delaying the work could mean some pipes need more costly reconstruction instead.
Case against#
- The authorized total includes $346,238 beyond the contract price for contingencies and related costs; the materials do not say how much of this will be needed.
- The funding split is not fully clear: the materials do not identify how much work qualifies for the subsidy or how much of the total will ultimately be paid by taxpayers.
- The decision covers many streets across six boroughs, but the supplied materials do not give the street list or detailed local impacts.