Niverville is continuing to expand its water services.
A water main is being installed along Sixth Avenue South from Main Street to Errington Way, which will be connected to the existing system via a new line that runs west into Cobblestone Court. The estimated cost of the loop, which will run 725 metres, is $131,000.
New water infrastructure is also on the way for residents of The Highlands. Another water main will be installed along Crown Valley Road and Krahn Road, extending the network from Claremont Drive to the south entrance of St. Andrews Way. This 2,250-metre line carries an estimated cost of $359,000 and is scheduled for completion in 2017.
The town has also begun work on upgrades to the Spruce Drive water treatment plant, including a larger pump, a larger generator, and other upgrades aimed to improve fire protection services for commercial businesses. These improvements are pegged at $400,000.
These projects will be largely paid for through cost savings that resulted from this summer’s installation of a water main along Main Street, a project which came in substantially under-budget.
“The Main Street project was completed for $1.2 million instead of $2.0 million,” says Eric King, Niverville’s Finance Manager. “The costs for this project were shared equally by the Town, province and the federal government. This provided an opportunity for Council to apply to expand the scope of the project and make additional water infrastructure improvements. Expanding the scope of the project has been approved by both federal and provincial governments.”
The town’s share of those cost savings equals $681,000, a bit shy of the $890,000 improvements that have been announced this month. According to King, town council is in talks with developers Heritage Lane Builders and Sunset Estates regarding cost-sharing proposals. Heritage Lane Builders is developing the Legacy Ridge neighbourhood on vacant land west of Sixth Avenue and north of Cobblestone Court. Sunset Estates is in the process of developing The Highlands.
Pro-Starr HDD, a horizontal directional drilling company based in Steinbach, conducted the Main Street water main installation this summer. They have also been awarded the contract to complete the new water lines.
King says that these improved water services will help ensure that Niverville continues to enjoy sustainable development and economic growth.