Crews will be getting on with some work over on 10 Avenue Northeast in Swift Current. 

A watermain that has been problematic for the past several years is going to be replaced now that the City of Swift Current has awarded the contract to Knudsen Excavating Ltd., who won the contract with a bid of just over $724,000. 

While they are down in the dirt, there will also be some replacement work happening to the existing property connections. These pipelines take water from the main line and transfer it to the property, where it joins the residential infrastructure. 

Mitch Minken, the general manager of infrastructure and operations for the City of Swift Current, revealed that these connector pipes are actually made of nothing more than tarred paper. 

"I think, in the early 50s, they actually used a hard paper tube, and that was what they used for the sewer services from the homes to the main," expanded Minken. "Those are ones that if you get some shifting soil, they don't have a lot of structure to them, as you can imagine. In shifting soil they tend to to collapse into an egg shape."

Since they are made of such soft material, they have always been prone to deforming and intrusion by roots. The new pipelines will be made of PVC and will be more resistant to shifting ground. 

While the City has the ground open, folks will be able to inquire with the contractor about redoing their residential infrastructure. Since the ground is already open, it will be easier to get it all done at once. 

"That is certainly our hope," said Minken. "Because if the contractor is there, mobilized, and the sidewalks are gone, and it's an open area to work in, it should be an opportune time for the contractor to give the homeowner the best price that they could."

Altogether, this project is expected to cost $1.16 million. The completed work is expected to last for close to 100 years, pending no major damages or unforeseen circumstances.