Another $1 Million Approved to Replace High-Risk Kelowna Water Main

The City of Kelowna is putting up to $1,300,000 towards replacing a failing water main on Dilworth.

Built in 1979, the water main between Omineca Place and Glacier Court has had a number of recent pipe breaks. This pipe acts as the only distribution main that supplies water to the Summit Reservoir, and it’s therefore critical in making sure the community has continuous water supply and fire protection.

The pipe breaks in this section of water main have been increasing in recent years. Though the water main itself isn’t that old and should be useful for 80 years or more, the soils in the area are highly corrosive and have severely damaged the metal pipe. In addition, the City is concerned since the water main is in an area where there are known slope stability issues. If water is poured onto this area, there could be a slope failure.

The City reported a recent substantial water main break, and this damage was south of the section that was already budgeted $300,000 for replacement this year. However, when crews removed sections of the pipe, they found extensive corrosion on the entire length, as well as algae growth. As a result, the city is concerned that the remaining pipe is also compromised and want to replace it as soon as possible.

On Monday, City Council approved an additional $1 million to complete this project, in addition to the $300,000 already budgeted. With the current requirements, Ductile Iron water main installations must be wrapped in Poly Ethylene plastic and lined with concrete, minimizing the potential for corrosion.

With the approval, staff is set to start work immediately on the replacement, and the work could be complete by November 2015.