Construction will begin soon on the first of several phases to hook up hundreds of rural homes to the Town of Osoyoos’ municipal water system.

Council voted unanimously in favour of beginning the tendering process to find a contractor to begin construction on the first of four phases in the System 8 and 9 Twinning Program Implementation.

The town had plans to implement the twinning project over several years as part of its five-year capital projects budget, but those plans will now be rapidly advanced after the town was recently given more than $2.4 million in federal gas tax funding to go towards the twinning project.

Jim Dinwoodie, the town’s director of operational services, told council on Monday that the first phases of this project will twin water system 8 with the town’s municipal water supply.

There will be four separate construction projects to be completed over the next two years, with the total costs of the projects estimated at $3.723 million, said Dinwoodie.

The town will provide $1.3 million from its capital project reserve fund to pay one-third of the costs.

Projects designed to be completed before April of 2018 include:

• Extending the existing 250 millimetre water main north as far as 148th Avenue.

• Constructing crossings for infrastructure across both Hwy. 3 and 97.

• Servicing 132 domestic property connections in the rural areas to the town’s water supply.

The purpose and goals of the twinning project is to ensure that the drinking water supply to homeowners in Irrigation Districts 8 and 9 comply with the province’s Drinking Water Protection Act, said Dinwoodie.

“A long range compliance plan is described comprising a twin domestic water system in the service area of Systems 8 and 9, which would be supplied by the town’s municipal system wells,” he said. “This project is the first phase in the implementation of the plan to comply with Interior Health Authority (IHA) and the Drinking Water Protection Act.”

Phase 1 will see the south half of System 8 service areas from 74th Avenue to Willow Beach at the north end of Osoyoos Lake be completed, he said.

Phase 2 would involve completing the north half of System 8 service area from 148th to Willow Beach.

Phase 3 would include upgrading the east half of System 9 service area generally comprising the area east of Hwy. 97 from 32nd Avenue to the U.S. border, including the supply main from Nighthawk Drive.

Phase 4 would include completing the west half of System 9 service area comprising the area west of Hwy. 97 from 74th Avenue to the U.S. border.

“Of the four phases, the south half of System 8 service area has the largest number of services,” said Dinwoodie. “The north end of System 8 developments … would represent the opportunity for a developer to contribute to the twinning program.”

For several years Interior Health staff has strongly supported the town extending its water infrastructure to the Willow Beach area, said Dinwoodie.

The plan is to begin construction this fall on Phase 1 at a cost of roughly $900,000, spring of 2017 construction on Phase 2 at a cost of $1.8 million, construction of Phase 3 at a cost of $800,000 next fall and completing Phase 4 in the spring of 2018 at a cost of $223,000.

“The approved grant application describes Phase 1 being divided into four separate construction contracts to be undertaken over a two year period with the objective of maximizing contractor interest,” he said. “Construction was intended to be undertaken in the fall or early spring recognizing that the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will not permit construction in the Hwy. 97 right-of-way in the summer vacation period.”

Terry Underwood, an engineer with the town’s longtime engineering consultant’s True Engineering, said the twinning project was first discussed by the town dating back a full decade to 2006.

The town had applied for funding from the federal government at least four times in the past decade and was fortunate enough to get a substantial grant of more than $2.4 million several months ago, he said.

Depending on future possible developments at the north end of Osoyoos Lake, the town might have to build a small reservoir and booster station to handle water needs several years down the road, said Underwood.

Any developer of this land would be expected to pay two-thirds of the cost, with the town picking up the costs for the other third, he said.

Using different contractors is a good idea, especially in the spring and fall months, as project costs decrease dramatically compared to the busy summer construction season, said Underwood.

Mayor Sue McKortoff said she’s thrilled this twinning project will commence soon.

“It sounds very good,” she said. “We’ve certainly been waiting a long time for this.”

Staff is hopeful that the federal government will provide future infrastructure funding through its federal gas tax program, said Dinwoodie.

They are also hopeful the town will be eligible for funding from the newly-elected federal Liberal government, who plan on spending billions of dollars on infrastructure projects over the next several years, he said.

Jim Zakall, the town’s director of financial services, said all of the financial ramifications of speeding up this twinning project have been made in the town’s five-year capital project budgets.

Coun. C. J. Rhodes said he’s pleased construction will begin soon on this important project.

“This is a no brainer,” he said.

The tendering process for Phase 1 of construction is expected to begin within the next couple of weeks.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times