Prince Rupert has awarded up to $20 million for the first phase of a three-year project to save what staff referred to in a report as “a water system on the verge of catastrophic failure.”
The report, authored by Richard Pucci, director of operations and intergovernmental relations, identified approximately 26 kilometres of water mains at either high risk of failure or high likelihood of failure.
These represent an estimated $130 million in project costs, which the city has presented to the provincial and federal governments for funding of a three-year “critical replacement strategy.”
Last month, the province came through with $65 million from its Critical Community Infrastructure Fund.
At its April 24 regular meeting, city council received the report for information and awarded the first phase to the local Coast Tsimshian Northern Contractors Alliance.
With the awarding of the contract, the city intends to replace the main line that connects the city to the reservoir and runs from Shawatlans Road to Montreal Circle this year under a Master Service Agreement.
“It will secure our water source for the community and will be put into a common trench under the road where it should be, instead of above ground where it’s susceptible to trees falling and other hazards,” Pucci explained in response to a question from Coun. Wade Niesh regarding the up to $20 million cost of the project.
Pucci also noted the road repairs that will be required are covered by the $20 million in response to a followup question from Niesh.
“The overall strategy is to start with the larger diameter arterial mains and work from the largest diameter to the smallest diameter,” the report states. “This strategy would ensure that the arterial mains, the most important for potable water circulation in the community, are first replaced.”
The urgency of the situation came into full light in December 2022 when a series of water main breaks prompted council to declare a local state of emergency.
Pucci’s report notes since the state of emergency has been lifted, the city has experienced at least nine additional water main breaks, as well as, 15 city-owned service breaks.
The report blames decades of “severe economic downturn”; limits on payments in lieu of taxes (PILT) from the port and the provincially legislated port tax cap; and previous councils’ resistance to raising property taxes for the critical state of the city’s water infrastructure.
The city is currently in the process of applying to the federal Disaster Mitigation Fund for other half of the $130 million to fund its priority projects over the next three years.
If the city is successful, even with a $130 million investment by the province and feds, the city infrastructure deficit remains at greater than $600 million, the report concludes.
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