A long-awaited new waterline is underway along the Exeter Truck Route, and will soon be bringing better fire protection/water pressure to the Industrial Park, as well as balancing the whole water system in the District of 100 Mile House.
Tender holder Bree Contracting’s crew began working with excavators and other equipment on May 4 to cut, connect and bury the pipe while flaggers control the traffic on the bypass route.
District director of engineering/community services Phil Strain says the pipes running from there to the new 101 Mile Reservoir have been fused together by the supplier into three long water lines before they go into the ground, which saves time for the crew as well as having better longevity.
“You’ve got less chance of leakage, it is a very, very tough pipe, so you don’t have to worry about anything being punctured or cracked.
“It’s a good project for the community – it’s going to give us sustainable, clean water for many, many years to come.”
It is part of the 100 Mile House Water Supply Upgrade project which is expected to be completed and in commission by 2018 – thanks to last year’s $5,850,000 Gas Tax Strategic Priority federal funding that moved everything up to allow Phase 1 and 2 to run in tandem this year.
This includes construction of a new water treatment plant, a pipeline to the new reservoir site at the 101 Mile area, and the new wells behind the Red Coach Inn.
The new reservoir up at the 101 Mile is going to balance the District water system and enable pressure needed for modern standards of fire protection to the Exeter commercial area which doesn’t currently have sufficient flow capacity.
“The water treatment plant … they’ve excavated for that and got all of the base gravel in there,” says Strain. “We’re just waiting for a structural review on the building and then we can get the next building permit.”
That permit should be completed this week or next week, and then work will be moving forward on the treatment plant, he explains.
As the District’s director in charge of public works, Strain says seeing important construction phases like these underway is the crowning glory of any project.