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Cranbrook, BC (March 9, 2026) – Prioritizing and strengthening the City of Cranbrook’s asset management was a key and significant focus of the Public Works department in 2025, which will improve long-term sustainability and improve reliability across the municipality.

Public Works, as part of an administration update to Council on Monday night, presented its 2025 Annual Summary which covered a number of key projects and performance indicators.

In 2025, Public Works completed a full condition assessment of 1,443 assets across 16 facilities. This information is now helping guide long term capital planning. The department also updated its preventative maintenance schedules and added barcodes to key assets, giving staff tools to better track maintenance and lifecycle costs.

Water Works operations in Public Works also launched a proactive leak detection program using city owned equipment and software. With support from a contractor, staff carried out overnight acoustic testing on 48 km of pipe, identifying 70 potential leaks, nine of which were confirmed.

“The leak detection program is a perfect example of how strategic, proactive maintenance can save taxpayers money by avoiding costly emergency repairs,” says Tony Hetu, Director of Public Works. “Finding these leaks early is a high return on investment and we plan to continue with this program annually.”  

Other priorities in 2025 included sidewalk repairs, streetlight maintenance, hydrant inspections, and pavement skin patching. The department also completed several special projects, such as Rails to Trails slope remediation, installing security cameras, renovating washroom facilities, repairing the spray irrigation outfall, and continuing all day to day Public Works operations.

“Both our Public Works and Engineering teams have done an excellent job over the past few years in developing a robust asset management program, which will strengthen service reliability for the future,” says Mayor Wayne Price.

The Public Works department manages essential city services and infrastructure, including water, sewer, storm drainage, roads, sidewalks, parks, recreation areas, and City facilities. The team includes 68 staff with diverse skills across water works, parks, roads, fleet, trades, and administration. Staff are reassigned throughout the year to support seasonal needs and overall operations.