North Glengarry council hires management firm for water supply project

North Glengarry council selected the firm for the management component of the township's regional water supply pipeline project at a meeting held Monday, January 9.

Of the two firms that made presentations last month, council decided on MHPM Project Managers Inc. The Ottawa-based company calls itself the largest project management firm in Canada and has worked on more than 5,000 projects.

The firm's $175,000 bid is slightly more expensive than the second firm, the Ontario Clean Water Agency, which offered its services for $160,000. However, township chief administrative officer Daniel Gagnon said while both firms were capable, council was impressed by MHPM's track record.

"[Council members] were impressed by their professionalism and understanding of the importance of the project as a whole," he said. "[MHPM] specializes in project management - that's all their firm does - and they demonstrated an understanding of the importance of the grants to get the capital side done one day, which also impressed them."

That understanding of funding grants may assist council at a later date, as it lobbies upper-tier governments for the capital project funding needed to begin the project - which, at the moment, carries a $57-million price tag.

It calls for two transmission watermains to bring treated water from Cornwall to Alexandria and Maxville, upgrades to the Alexandria water treatment plant and provisions for future distribution to Martintown, Apple Hill, and Dominionville.

The provincial government announced in May it would fund 90 per cent of the project's $3.18-million engineering costs, opening the door for township officials to move forward.

That engineering phase includes project design, location surveys and the tendering process, all together expected to take about 18 months.

Of that $3.18 million, the budget for project management was $200,000, said Gagnon.

MHPM was established in Ottawa in 1989 and says it is currently the largest project management firm in Canada and has worked on over 5,000 projects. The keys to the project's success, according to the firm, are understanding the needs of both Glengarry townships; selecting the "right" consultant; proactively securing construction funding; and "rigorously applying project and cost-control systems."

Equitable water supply agreements and expedient property acquisition would also be important. The first 30 days would confirm the project's budget and schedule, while a project consultant would be retained after 60 days and the major risks would be identified. Public meetings could begin after 90 days as well as a technical planning session.

"It's a multi-phase project," public works manager Andre Bachand. "It's a big engineering job: laying out the path of the pipeline itself, the infrastructure, and lots of drilling to see what's in the ground."

It was initially hoped that drilling could begin in late fall or early winter but, at this point, it will not likely begin until early spring, when the ground thaws.