Water problems slow Phase 2 of LU Architecture School build

Morning North4:33Water issues at School of Architecture construction site in Sudbury

The second phase of construction at the Laurentian School of Architecture continues, contractors are dealing with ground water problems. The CBC's Kate Rutherford spoke with Ron Lynch of Bonfield Construction about the challenges the water represents.

The second phase of construction at the School of Architecture in downtown Sudbury is well underway, but water is proving to be a challenge.

Laurentian University capital project manager Mitch Seguin says the water table is high and must be lowered to allow the foundation to be built. He says the contractor is pumping out the water and sending it to the water treatment plant.

The process was not a surprise, but it is a challenge, he added.

It's slowed us down, that's for sure. But it's not to say that there's no way to recover from this slow-down. So we still anticipate to be completed by the fall of 2015 for the students to arrive.

Seguin noted there are almost 200 hollow metal cylinders called piles that will be driven into the bedrock located at the corner of Elm and Elgin Streets. The cylinders will bypass the water-saturated clay to form the supports for the structure.

A new bylaw requirescontractor Bondfield Constructionto pay for the pumped-out water to be treated at the city's wastewater treatment plant.

The city's director of water and wastewater services said companies weren't as strictly monitored, prior to 2011.

Nick Benkovich said now they work with the city to protect the environment and make sure the city's ratepayers are also protected.

Bondfield Construction is trucking tens of thousands of litres of water a day to the treatment plant.