UPDATED December 4th:

The Kitchen Drain Basin project has been completed. Due to the temperatures, a concrete blanket and barricade will remain in place to protect the newly poured section of sidewalk while it sets over the weekend.

Because of the cool temperatures, it will take a couple days for the concrete to properly set and cure. We have been advised to be safe rather than sorry, the blanket will remain in place Saturday and Sunday December 5th and 6th. The contractor expects to remove the blanket and barricades on Monday. The area will be cleaned up and released for pedestrian use.

We appreciate everyone’s patience for the water shut offs. Anyone who is experiencing pressure issues should contact the office. The team is on site Friday December 4th, flushing lines and cleaning aerators to get everyone back on line. But it may take a few days to get to all the calls, so we thank anyone experiencing problems for understanding and patience while this is coordinated.

To give you a better idea of what they were doing, here are a few photos of the work while it was in progress:

Kitchen drain basin from manhole cover, before work began.

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Worker digging out remains of old basin.

New cistern for catch basin being lowered in.

Basin filled back in before concrete pour.

UPDATED November 24th:

In order to accommodate repairs to a kitchen drainage basin at the sidewalk along Sheridan Road, Park Tower’s water to all kitchens and baths will need to be shut off Wednesday December 2nd, Thursday December 3rd and Friday December 4th between 8am and 5pm. Barring any surprises, it is possible the shut off will not be needed on Friday – however, we have been asked to plan for it just in case.

About two slabs of sidewalk will need to be brought up directly in front of our entrance. This is scheduled to begin on Tuesday December 1st. You will notice workers beginning the process by placing temporary barricades at the necessary locations, and traffic will be directed around equipment on Sheridan Road. Thereafter, the main basin at this location (serving Park Tower kitchen drain lines) will be removed and rebuilt. The primary drain line served by this basin is also being repaired. After the plumbing and basin work are completed, the sidewalk will be replaced, weather permitting, either Friday or Saturday. We expect they will be completely finished and able to remove the barricades early the week of December 7th.

We originally intended to address this drain line next year, however, as our team was investigating its condition and working to calculate a budget for the work, we discovered the condition of the basin itself appeared very precarious – and possibly on the verge of collapse. Plans to do the work were escalated, and approved by the PTCA Board.

The water will be off to all kitchens and bathrooms. However, residents can use their toilets while water remains in the bowel, since the work is only affecting the kitchen drains. If you have water pressure problems after water service returns, please contact the office, and we will schedule a visit by our plumber.

As residents know, we did quite an extensive plumbing improvement project this past summer. Of course, the drain lines and plumbing replaced as a part of that effort are just part of the network throughout Park Tower which provides water and drains waste for the building.

As our team was prepping for other plumbing work we planned to tackle next year, we became aware of a condition in a “basin” located beneath the sidewalk in front of the building, which unfortunately needs to be taken care of sooner rather than later. This basin is where the primary kitchen line drain leaves the building and meets up with the City sewer. The basin itself is basically a protective masonry cavity which acts as a point where this drain line can be accessed and maintained.

We are very concerned this basin is on the verge of collapse. If this happened, there is a possibility the drain line could become obstructed, which could cause backups into kitchen sinks. So, we are presently coordinating the necessary work to correct this condition.

About two slabs of the sidewalk will need to be brought up, and the basin will need to be rebuilt. We will also be completing repairs to the drain line itself, which is what we originally intended to be addressing next year. This work is expected to take 2 to 3 weeks from start to finish, including demo of the slabs and re-pouring of the sidewalk. While the drain line is worked on, we expect the water to be shut off for two days, 8am to 5pm. However, residents will be able to use their toilets with any water the tank is holding (probably two flushes for most).

We are waiting for the necessary permits, but expect the work to be done ASAP in November. Once we have a more definitive timeline, we will follow up.