Nelson’s wastewater force main replacement project is facing a longer timeline as the city works through challenging rock conditions along the planned route near Grohman Narrows.
Community planning manager Chris Johnson told council on Oct. 6 that early research found large, jagged rock along the riverbed that could make installing the new pipe more complicated.
“Initial research that was done highlighted a very challenging area of bedding the pipe through the riverbed, not surprisingly right around where they blasted out Grohman Narrows 100 or so years ago,” said Johnson. “There’s just a whole lot of very large rock and jagged areas.”
According to Johnson, the city plans to bring a contractor on board once the design reaches 60 per cent completion. He said that will help the people installing the pipe work through those challenges before construction begins.
The project was previously expected to start in early 2027, but Johnson said construction will now start later in the year.
“Because of this changed approach and the findings of that area, it’s gonna be later in ’27,” Johnson said.
The force main carries wastewater from Nelson to the Grohman Narrows Wastewater Treatment Plant. Installed in 1971, it has experienced multiple leaks in recent years.
The city secured $7 million in federal and provincial funding for the $13.5-million replacement project in July, with the remaining $6.5 million expected to come from reserves.
Meanwhile, planning for a new wastewater treatment plant is still in its early stages.
Johnson said the city has received approval to move into the second stage of its Liquid Waste Management Plan, which will look at things like stormwater entering the system and the strength of the wastewater.
That work will help determine what treatment technology the new plant will need, with the third stage focusing on detailed design.
Johnson said having shovels in the ground by the end of the next council term would be good progress, but there’s still a long way to go.
He said it could still be eight to 10 years before a new sewer plant is fully functioning.
“I think that would be, you know, best guess at this point. That would be realistic,” Johnson said.
City manager Kevin Cormack added that the timeline will depend on the planning process, the technology selected and funding from senior levels of government. He said the city can’t afford to pay for the entire project itself.
“It’s just way too big for us to fund ourselves, and we’ve done a really good job of building our side of the funding, our reserves,” Cormack said. “So we need to see, hopefully our governments are in a place where they can start to fund that infrastructure.”
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