Town of Sundre Highway 27 Watermain Replacement

2023-2024 | Sundre, AB

Project Background: Sundre’s Watermain Challenge

It was no secret that the Town of Sundre’s (the Town) water infrastructure was leaking. Water licensing and lagoon discharge had been close to, or over, limit for some time. Leaks from old, cast-iron watermains in the highway combined with a high-water table were a constant headache for Shane Vollett, the Town’s water and wastewater operator. With a Transportation and Economic Corridors update project on the horizon, the Town approached McElhanney for support.

TEC Corridor upgrades and watermain rehabilitation

The Transportation and Economic Corridors (TEC) project was designed to enhance both safety and efficiency for travellers along Highway 27. This high-load corridor is a critical route, accommodating as many as 1,600 vehicles each day and serving as a vital connection between Southern Alberta and the province’s northern economic hub. In addition to improving vehicular flow, the project prioritized pedestrian safety, ensuring that both motorists and community members benefit from the upgrades made to this essential transportation link.

The Town of Sundre (the Town) was eager to undertake the rehabilitation and replacement of the aging, leaky watermain that ran under the TEC project area in advance of TEC’s project. This undertaking presented multiple challenges; there were no high-load detour options, intersection closures were required, watermain pressure testing and chlorination had to be staged, and water servicing had to be maintained throughout the project. Time of year was also a consideration; most of this disruption needed to happen during Sundre’s prime tourist season and would also overlap with a high-water table in the spring, summertime long weekends, Sundre’s annual rodeo, and back-to-school traffic in the fall.

Collaborative Solutions Drive Project Success

McElhanney collaborated with the Town of Sundre’s project team to design and tender the project. In turn, the Town selected a contractor that was up for working in a creative and nimble way in the face of numerous challenges. In January of 2025, McElhanney, the Town, and the contractor launched into project delivery.

Just as expected, the construction process tossed everything it could at the project team. The Town responded quickly to manage traffic size and volume, and the contractor’s experience streamlined highway undercutting and dewatering processes. Clear communication between McElhanney, the Town, and the contractor resulted in quick decisions in the field, reduced costs, and no down time throughout the lifespan of the project. Town operations personnel remained on site when key work was happening and caught issues before they became larger, and the Town retained a communications expert to engage the community’s concerns and questions through a public website.

Savings, Outcomes, and Lasting Impact

Shane Vollett was eager to see the results of the new watermain, and they were more than he’d hoped for; because of this single project, the Town had a reduction of 812,000 litres of water per day of inflow and infiltration into their lagoon, and a reduction of 870,000 litres per day of potable water loss. These results were astounding and helped the Town realize savings in other areas; additional water licensing and a slated water well project were no longer needed, and the Town’s wastewater treatment plant expansion project was redrawn with a reduced footprint. Due to the collaborative approach, costs on the initial project came in under budget and allowed for two more areas of aged watermain to be replaced.

Clear communication and quick collaboration between the contractor, the Town, and McElhanney resulted in a project that is both saving the community $700k a year in reduced operating expenses and has prepared the Town’s infrastructure for the future. Town of Sundre’s chief administrative officer, Linda Nelson, is quoted in The Albertan, saying, “… all of the critical underground infrastructure south of Highway 27 apart from about 400 metres is now good for about 75 years.”

McElhanney presented this project alongside the Town of Sundre at the 2025 Alberta Water and Wastewater Operator’s Conference to a positive reception, as well as at the Water North Coalition’s bi-annual meeting in May 2025. The project was also featured in The Albertan News.

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