Summary#
Montréal city council unanimously adopted its position on awarding Fer-Pal construction ltd (Technologies Sans-Tranchée CoreAqua) a contract to rehabilitate a 600-millimetre water main beside Autoroute 15 Nord and the Atwater ramp in the Sud-Ouest borough. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting. The stated goal, according to city staff, is to improve the reliability of the water network and reduce the risk of breaks.
- The proposed contract is for $619,812.98, taxes included. Fer-Pal was the lowest compliant bidder in a public call for tenders with three bids.
- The proposed total expenditure is $741,026.71, taxes included: the contract, a $74,377.56 contingency budget, and $46,836.17 for related costs.
- The work includes measuring for the lining, rehabilitating the main by internal lining, and restoring the site. It is scheduled to take 40 calendar days over two phases; the pause between phases does not count. Work must be completed by December 18, 2026.
- The city’s position also includes assessing Fer-Pal’s performance. A late-completion penalty would be 0.1% of the contract price before sales taxes per day, with a minimum of $1,000 a day.
What it means for you#
- Water users: The work concerns a water main in the Sud-Ouest borough. City staff say rehabilitating it would reduce risks tied to breaks; the decision does not guarantee that breaks will be prevented.
- Taxpayers: The expenditure would be paid entirely by the agglomeration and financed under borrowing bylaw RGC-23-022.
- Nearby residents and road users: The decision describes work beside Autoroute 15 Nord and the Atwater ramp, but does not give details about traffic or other local impacts.
Money#
The proposed total expenditure is $741,026.71, taxes included; no separate estimate of the net public cost beyond the stated figures is provided.
- The amount is $676,656.15 net of tax rebates.
- The lowest compliant bid was $48,508.41 (7.51%) above the city’s estimate. City staff say this difference is acceptable because it is below 10%.
What is unclear#
- How much of the contingency and related-cost budgets will actually be spent is not stated.
- The materials do not give details about traffic disruptions or other effects on people near the work site.
Case for#
- City staff say the water main’s condition creates a risk of breaks. Rehabilitating it could help maintain the water network and reduce that risk.
- Fer-Pal submitted the lowest compliant bid of three. Its bid was 7.51% above the city’s estimate, which staff considered acceptable.
Case against#
- The lowest compliant bid was still above the city’s estimate, and the total proposed spending is higher once contingency and related costs are included.
- The materials do not say how much of those additional budgets will be needed or what local disruption the work may cause.