Project Description

Metro Vancouver Water Services operates and maintains approximately three thousand chambers and maintenance hatches. Asset condition information for a number of chambers and maintenance hatches indicates that many of these chambers are facing deterioration including structural defects, corrosion of water piping and valves. Inspection is required to determine the condition of the chambers and prioritize repair work as required. To address these issues, a large-scale inspection initiative is being implemented. The project Includes:

• Systematic Inspections: Comprehensive inspections are planned across the network to evaluate the current conditions of the chambers and hatches. These inspections will focus on key indicators of asset health including structural integrity and the presence of contaminants such as chlorine, hydrocarbons, oil, grease, and iron.
• Maintenance and Repairs: Following the inspections, a prioritized maintenance and repair schedule will be established to address the most urgent issues, ensuring the continued reliability and safety of the water services.
• Project Management: Effective coordination with various stakeholders, development of safety and traffic management plans, and supervision of the inspection activities will ensure the project is conducted efficiently and in compliance with safety standards.

RAM’s Role

RAM is a Prime Contractor for the on-going project and performs the following general duties in inspecting the water main chambers:

• Attend preconstruction meetings and other project meetings as necessary
• Coordinate with the Corporation’s Field Operations and Project Manager
• Prepare and implement Traffic Management Plans where required
• Obtain all necessary permits for the work
• Measure water depth and field test for chlorine prior to dewatering any flooded chambers
• Utilizing a pole camera equipment from outside a chamber, take clear, high resolution and high-quality photos as well as a video recording of all visually accessible chamber equipment and components
• For each chamber inspected, the chamber inspection checklist should be completed following the Inspection Component Scoring Criteria
• Submit safety documents for the Corporation’s review and approval
• Liaise with municipal engineering office and the Corporation’s consultants as necessary
• RAM developed a comprehensive, project-specific safety plan to ensure maximum safety and efficiency during inspections
• RAM reduced costs by replacing conventional and expensive chlorine testing tools with simpler, yet effective, testing kits
• RAM demonstrated adaptability to varying weather and traffic conditions, ensuring inspections proceeded smoothly and without significant delays