In a report delivered to the Comox Valley Sewage Commission today, the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) provided an update on its work to-date investigating three potential red flags into the Comox No. 2 Pump Station Project. Staff confirmed that final results will be brought forward to the commission in late summer.
The red flags under investigation include: the results of an analysis into the condition of the forcemain between Courtenay and Jane Place pump stations, further analysis of total project costs and further hydrological studies to better understand any potential risks to the quality or quantity of groundwater in the area.
The preliminary results presented to the sewage commission include the following findings:
Forcemain Condition Assessment– Initial results indicate the pipe is in good condition with no leaks or broken reinforcing wires.
Indicative Design and Class B Cost Estimate – Estimated capital costs for the project have increased up to 70 per cent due to escalating construction costs, additional expense of installing backup systems to reduce the risk of overflow at Courtenay and Jane Place pump stations, higher than anticipated level of complexity and technical risk with the foreshore tie-in to the existing forcemain, site sizing constraints and the inclusion of state of the art systems to mitigate odour, noise and vibrations.
Hydrological Work – Work including a survey of local wells, installation of new monitoring wells and establishing baseline water quality and groundwater levels is underway. “This work is technically complex and we want to take the time to get it right. We appreciate being updated with these preliminary results and we look forward to the final report that will inform our decision about the next phase of the project,” said Barbara Price, Chair of the Comox Valley Regional District Sewage Commission.
The project will move forward to the next phase only if the red flags have been removed and the commission is confident the facility makes financial sense and can be constructed without significant long term risk to ground water in the area.
In addition to the pre-implementation phase investigation, work to inform residents about the project has been ongoing. This includes design workshops held in March, April and May that provided an opportunity for area residents to engage with the CVRD on the design and aesthetics of the proposed pump station. The project team has taken that input and created a design concept that includes a green “meadow” roof to minimize the impact on views. For more information on the workshops and the feedback collected, visit our Pump 2 Station page.
The Comox Valley Regional District is a federation of three electoral areas and three municipalities providing sustainable services for residents and visitors to the area. The members of the regional district work collaboratively on services for the benefit of the diverse urban and rural areas of the Comox Valley.
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Media Contact:
Kris La Rose
Senior Manager of Water and Wastewater Services
250-218-6689