Montreal council approves sewer inspection contract

Summary#

Montréal city council adopted a 12-month contract with Can-Explore inc. to find and locate incorrect sewer and stormwater connections in Pointe-aux-Trembles, in the borough of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles. City staff say the work aims to help identify sources of water contamination; that outcome is not guaranteed.

  • The City’s Service de l’eau (Water Department) will oversee the contract, which runs from October 2026 to October 2027.
  • Can-Explore must carry out tests and inspections at 324 buildings, identify incorrect connections, send weekly updates and provide a final report with results and recommendations.
  • The contract is for $279,935.38, taxes included, plus an authorized contingency budget of $41,990.31, taxes included.
  • Can-Explore was the only bidder for this lot and its bid was compliant. The resolution also requires the City to evaluate the company’s performance.

What it means for you#

  • Residents and property owners in the target area: The contractor will distribute notices and coordinate appointments to inspect buildings. The decision does not require owners to make repairs or set out an access or appeal process.
  • Property owners whose buildings have incorrect connections: City staff say owners would carry out corrective work, after which the City’s aquatic environment monitoring program would reassess the stormwater network. This contract does not award or fund that repair work.
  • General public: The decision funds investigation work in Pointe-aux-Trembles. It does not itself establish a new citywide program or guarantee that contamination will be eliminated.

Money#

The City authorized spending of up to $321,925.69, taxes included; the contingency is a budget, not necessarily an amount that will be spent.

  • The base contract is $279,935.38, taxes included. The contingency is $41,990.31, taxes included.
  • The City’s estimate, including contingency, was $697,696.10. City staff say the bid was 53.86% below that estimate, partly because the estimate relied on assumptions about complex buildings.
  • The contract allows a $100-per-day penalty for delay, capped at 5% of the contract value before taxes. The City will not pay for incomplete work or deliverables.

What is unclear#

  • No publicly available information on how building access will be arranged if an occupant does not respond or cannot attend.
  • The decision does not say what repairs might cost owners, or what rules apply if a building needs corrective work.
  • It does not explain when or how the contingency may be used.

Case for#

  • City staff say incorrect connections can send wastewater into stormwater systems that discharge into local waterways. Finding and locating them can help target corrective work.
  • The contract requires inspection of the 324 identified buildings and reporting on results and recommended corrections.
  • The sole compliant bid was well below the City’s estimate, although that does not by itself establish the quality of the work.

Case against#

  • Only one bid was submitted for this lot, so the City had limited competition to compare prices and approaches.
  • City staff assessed the contract’s risk as high and noted a tight schedule for work in 2026. Delays could affect completion, though the contract includes penalties.
  • The decision does not set out how owners will be involved if inspections identify a problem or how corrective work will be paid for.