The City of Revelstoke's engineering department has presented city council with a long list of sewer, water and road projects they'd like to tackle in the coming years.
Engineering director Brian Mallett made the presentation at the Jan. 10 regular council meeting as part of the department's capital plan submission.
The engineering capital plan is a component of the overall city budget process. This means council could opt to defer some of the projects. A timeline presented by the engineering department shows the actual construction is spread over the next five or more years.
Here are some of the projects Mallett presented. This list is not complete; it's a collection of projects including very expensive ones, political hot potatoes and ones that are slated for the immediate future:
Water metering study: The engineering department wants to complete a study of water metering this year, to the tune of $50,000. The city's Water Conservation Plan calls for the move to water meters in Revelstoke residences – a pay for use system. The study would explore what types of meters to use (such as wired or wireless) and what rate structures to use. "If we aren't careful, [residents] will start to conserve," Mallett joked about the rate structure; metering decreases usage, so rates must be set appropriately to compensate for this drop.
Sewage Lagoon Discharge Relocation: The price tag: $4.6 million for a system to pipe discharge from the sewage lagoons to the Columbia River. Currently, the pipe from the sewage lagoons in the industrial park is discharged into the Illecillewaet River near the lagoons. Mallett said the discharge is causing nutrient loading in the river because of excessive phosphorous discharge. This causes issues especially during low-flow periods. The Ministry of Environment is urging the city to deal with the issue as soon as possible.
Mallett said the engineering department studied using chemical treatments to reduce the nutrient loading, but they concluded that system would cost as much as the new discharge system, but would cost more to maintain. The engineering department is requesting $100,000 for a detailed engineering design that would help get grants from other levels of government.
RMR Booster Station: The two big pumps that supply the RMR development are oversized because the anticipated build-out at the ski resort hasn't happened at the pace originally anticipated. They're 'always on' and expensive to run; $6,700 in electricity a year. The plan is to install two smaller pumps for $50,000 and save an estimated $6,690 a year in power costs.
Downie Street Force Main Project: About two-thirds of Revelstoke is served by this "force main" pipe. The pressurized pipe sends sewer uphill to the treatment plant. "If we have a pipe failure, then two-thirds of the community can't use the sewer system," Mallett said. The pipe was installed in about 1975. Recent testing of the pipe showed it had 25 years of life left, but Mallett said the probability of failure increased exponentially with age, and the joints were problematic. He recommends replacing it between now and 2016. Estimate: $1,050,000.
Airport Way pedestrian improvement project between Nichol Road and McKinnon Road: This $126,000 project to create a cycling/walking path is designed to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety along the stretch of Airport way. Construction is planned for 2013.
Upgrade of Victoria Road from Eighth Street to Mill Road: The plan is widen the road from 7.5 metres to 11 metres and put in curbs and sidewalks. The impetus is the new pedestrian traffic to the new schools. This route serves heavy truck traffic to Downie Street Sawmills. The new curbs and sidewalks are also designed to alleviate dust issues. Estimate: $686,000.
Hiob Road from Windsor to Dogwood Road Reconstruction: A $233,000 project to upgrade the deteriorating surface and install curbs, storm water and gutters.
Benson Street from First Street to Douglas Street Road Reconstruction: A $509,000 project to upgrade the deteriorating surface and install curbs, storm water and gutters.
Second Street from Wright Street to King Street Road Reconstruction: A $620,000 project to upgrade the deteriorating surface and install curbs, storm water and gutters.
King Street from Second Street to Douglas Road Reconstruction: A $430,000 project to upgrade the deteriorating surface and install curbs, storm water and gutters.
First Street from Hanson Street to Benson Street Road Reconstruction: A $310,000 project to upgrade the deteriorating surface and install curbs, storm water and gutters.
Trans-Canada Water Main Replacement: A $220,000 project to replace a section of old pipe that runs along the Trans-Canada near the reservoir. The old pipe is a bottleneck in the system, creating issues.
Mallett told the Times Review the engineering capital plan documents will be posted on the city's website, although he didn't specify a date.