Greater VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 sewage treatment project may have to undergo revisions in order to save money, with the chair of the board overseeing the project warning of likely cost over-runs.
Don Fairbairn, chair of the core area wastewater treatment project board, of the Capital Regional District.
B次元官网网址淥ur confidence [in meeting budget] is not high,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e are feeling concerned that there is a likelihood that we will not be able to deliver the program within the control budget.B次元官网网址�
Fairbairn said the project board will have a better understanding of the cost pressures facing the $765-million project by mid-March, when Ernst and Young, as well as KWL Consulting Engineers will have returned their respective assessments.
Funding for the project comes from three sources: the provincial and federal governments responsible for a total of $459 million and local governments responsible for $306 million.
Ernst and Young will look at what Fairbairn calls the B次元官网网址渞oot causesB次元官网网址� of the current cost pressures. B次元官网网址淚s it related to things that we can control? Is it related to things we canB次元官网网址檛 control? Is it related initially to the quality of the budgets utilized to establish our control budget?B次元官网网址�
Escalating material, labour, and design costs have forced the project board to lower its confidence that the project wonB次元官网网址檛 exceed the budget, said Fairbairn. Other factors include the completion deadline of Dec. 31, 2020 for the project, input from stakeholders, and geo-technical risks, he said.
KWL Consulting Engineers will also give the board an independent cost analysis of the remaining elements still requiring procurement, he said. The public heard about three per cent of the project remain un-procured. KWL ConsultingB次元官网网址檚 assessment would also consider whether the not-yet-procured elements add B次元官网网址渦tility valueB次元官网网址� to the project.
B次元官网网址淎s a consequence of this study, we may or may not, I donB次元官网网址檛 know, come to the conclusion that some of that infrastructure could be deferred,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e should come to some determination as whether or not there is value in that infrastructure B次元官网网址� what should be built, what could be deferred, or some of it ought not to be built.B次元官网网址�
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Fairbairn said the outcome of this review is open. Should the review recommend changes, it would be up to the core area liquid waste management committee to recommend changes to the CRD board. B次元官网网址淭here would be robust discussion around that,B次元官网网址� he said.
Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins, who chairs the core area liquid waste management committee, said she is not pre-supposing anything at this stage. B次元官网网址淢r. Fairbairn has expressed a gut feeling, and they are going to get that information.B次元官网网址�
Touching on various aspects of the project, Fairbairn said it remains on schedule.
B次元官网网址淲e have a high level of confidence that we will deliver this project,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e will have an operating wastewater treatment system that complies with all regulations, all laws, no later than Dec. 31, 2020.B次元官网网址�
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