Work to enhance the city’s water supply will start in the fall after Duncan Council awarded a bid to patch the Gibbins Reservoir, extend its life, and reduce further deterioration.
The contract was awarded to MCL Group, an Alberta-based contracting company, and the city is expected to pay $416,275 plus tax to empty and clean the tank, as well as patch the interior in specific locations and then install and inspect the liner before it’s put back into service.
Director of public works and engineering Brian Murphy says the work is actively needed, but advised council that putting it off to the fall is the best option to ensure no disruption in service to consumers.
“The reservoir is highly needed in the summer months,” he says. “This means the work won’t happen until the fall, at that time the reservoir will be taken offline and will be relatively non-disruptive.
“All the work will be at the reservoir site, but there will be some construction noise for the neighbours, but they’ll be notified of the work in the fall.”
The work is expected to last four weeks, and Murphy says the city has prepared contingencies if the work goes longer than scheduled.
“The project will be supervised by city staff, and engineering consultants, who will monitor progress and provide updates,” he says. “If things aren’t proceeding as planned, then we have all the way until late spring before that tank would be critically needed.”
The contract was opened to tender for two companies, MCL Group and Western Tank and Lining ($508,046), and according to Murphy there is roughly $540,000 remaining in capital reserves for the project.
The project is expected to be completed in Dec. and was awarded to MCL by unanimous vote.
