City continues water supply upgrade plan

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The City of Fort St. John is continuing essential work on upgrading water supply infrastructure. 

During the November 25th committee of the whole meeting of council, Jeremy Garner, the Director of Public Works and Utilities, and Kristin Bayet, a project engineer with Urban Systems, gave councillors an update on water system upgrades.

A 10-year plan, first approved by City Council in 2018, has been ongoing to upgrade long-term water supply infrastructure and sources. 

Backup power was installed in 2020 for water systems as the first stage of the plan. Phase two, test drilling from 2020 to 2022, revealed that no more wells can be drilled in the well field without jeopardizing the current wells.

During the third stage of the plan, feasibility studies were conducted and revealed that collector wells downstream from the CN bridge would be the most effective way to safely expand water supply services. 

Collector wells are used to collect ground water from higher aquifers through drilled filter strings. The well strings would extend below the Peace River, collecting water that has soaked through the riverbed. 

According to the feasibility study, infrastructure would have to be expanded at the High Lift Pump Station nearby, as well as at the city’s water treatment plant, to handle the increase in water flow. 

However, the supply line responsible for transporting water from the pump station to the water treatment plant does not need upgrades. 

In phase four of the 10-year plan, teams assessed two water reservoirs on 106th and 79th Streets in the City of Fort St. John.

Both reservoirs were found to be in need of replacing, and work has since begun to find a suitable new location. 

Upgrade timelines for the water supply plan have environmental assessments and the replacement of the 106th reservoir occurring in 2025. Collector well construction is anticipated to begin in 2027 and conclude in 2028, and water treatment upgrades at the High Lift Station and water treatment plant from 2027 to 2030. 

The presentation also included projected annual budgets for the project, which will be assessed by staff and included in future City capital plans.

In 2025 and 2026, the plan is anticipated to cost approximately $9 million a year. In 2027, the project anticipates a budget of almost $16 million, and in 2028, the budget is expected to be more than $12 million. In 2029, the projected budget dips to approximately $6 million, and in 2030, the budget is expected to be less than $7 million. 

To view the complete slideshow presentation included in the Committee of the Whole Agenda, see pages 31 to 45.