'The pumping has to be 24/7 otherwise everybody east of here would have to stop flushing': City clarifies work being done along 15th Ave.

Some residents who live along 15th Ave. in the Cathedral neighborhood may have been dealing with unwanted noise over the last couple of weeks.

The City of Regina is doing a waste water trunk relining project that will bring the current waste water trunk to a "like new" condition. The city said the noise residents are hearing is a machine pumping waste water around the current spot where crews are repairing the trunk.

"The pumping has to be 24/7 otherwise everybody east of here would have to stop flushing and that would be not very practical,” Pat Wilson, Director of Water, Waste and Environmental Services for the City of Regina said. “It's about 25 per cent of the population is being served by this trunk underground."

The City said doing a pipe relining is the most efficient way of doing the work. The relining work on thirty blocks will take about nine weeks to complete and will cost $5 million. The City said their other option is to dig up the pipe and replace it, that work would take about three construction seasons and would cost around $15 million.

“We’re working on getting this done as quickly and efficiently as we possibly can,” said Wilson. “We really do appreciate the fact that it creates havoc and hassle for customers. We’re well aware that over this next weekend, it's Canada Day weekend, and there are going to be people wanting to come down to the park, this interferes with their ability park and access areas where they are used to parking in.”

The construction will start to move east but the City said it will be notifying residents who will be impacted.