Workers are starting to take down trees in Nanaimo’s Beban Park and along the parkway to prepare the area for summer construction of a major water pipeline.
The goal is to avoid a repeat of a major spill two years ago.
In April 2020, 22 million litres of water poured onto Bowen Road when an old supply pipe broke.
The break drained the city’s three water reservoir tanks and left thousands of residents and businesses and the top floor of Nanaimo Regional General Hospital without water.
It cost $250,000 to repair the break and clean up the damage. When crews investigated the break, they found a total structural failure of the concrete pipes, along with other leaks.
Mayor Leonard Krog said Wednesday the city is fortunate there were no injuries, and is taking action to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Council “quickly reorganized” its water capital plan to accelerate replacement of the pipeline, he said.
Nanaimo announced the start of the project on Wednesday, saying crews are working on trees now to avoid disturbing birds during nesting season.
The two-phase, multi-year project will replace an old and undersized system. New infrastructure will carry potable water to the central and northern parts of the city.
Final costs for the project are not yet known, although a $28-million budget was set last year. Nanaimo has hired a contractor to help determine the best, most efficient and cost-effective design.
Bill Sims, Nanaimo’s general manager of engineering and public works, said the replacement pipeline will run along a new alignment, will be more resilient and will provide for secure water supply to more than two-thirds of the city.
“This is a major infrastructure upgrade and will serve the community for generations.”
The pipeline will run along Bowen Road, East Wellington, the Parkway, Northfield Road, Boxwood Road and through Beban Park to Labieux Road.
Crews will be preserving as many trees as possible and many will be replanted once the project is finished, the city said.
They will work on sections along the Nanaimo Parkway from East Wellington to Northfield Road and through Beban Park.
cjwilson@timescolonist.com
