Nanoose Bay water pipe replacement costs go up by more than $500,000

Regional District of Nanaimo still completing water main work related to a 2014 referendum

KARL YU Oct. 10, 2021 4:30 p.m. LOCAL NEWS

Regional District of Nanaimo directors have increased the budget for a Nanoose Bay water pipe replacement project by more than half a million dollars.

The RDN board, at its Sept. 28 meeting, approved a motion directing staff to initiate a deal with Milestone Contracting Ltd. for work on water pipe at Outrigger Road and Dolphin Drive for $517,203.

Nanoose Bay residents had given the RDN permission to borrow $2.1 million for work on numerous water mains via a 2014 referendum, with work at Outrigger Road, Dolphin Drive and Dorcas Point Road the only ones yet to be completed. The previously approved amounts are no longer sufficient, said a staff report.

Awarding the contract was seen as favourable as it the work can coincide with other work being done by a developer in the area, which will “avoid cutting into fresh asphalt,” the staff report said.

Murray Walters, RDN manager of water services, said work is being done to comply with safety regulations.

“The three remaining sections of water main on that list are being replaced because they’re not sized appropriately for fire protection for the development and build out that’s happened in those areas,” Walters said. “That’s the only reason we’re changing the water mains, is just to conform with requirements for fire flows.”

At a RDN Sept. 7 board meeting, Bob Rogers, Nanoose Bay area director, inquired about costs for the Dorcas Point work and Ellen Tian, RDN general manager of engineering and utilities, said the price could rise.

“The current estimated cost will be more than $1 million,” Tian said at the meeting. “I’m pretty sure we need up to, about, [$500,000] of additional funding. In terms of whether there will be additional borrowing, or we can accommodate the need from the reserves, we have to sit down with our financial people to have a better understanding.”

The Dorcas Point work will be included in the upcoming budget and speaking to the News Bulletin afterwards, Rogers said he thinks there will be funds to complete the work next year.

“As we’ve worked through that project, when we get to the last [few], costs of these projects have gone up over the last seven years naturally,” said Rogers. “So it’s just a matter of re-configuring. The one at

Outrigger is being done now at the same time as the work down there at Schooner Cove … We’re trying to do those in conjunction so we don’t have to repave it a couple of times.”

https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/news/nanoose-bay-water-pipe-replacement-costs-go-up-by-more-than-500000/