Grand Forks’ water supply systems are primed for major upgrades, now that the city has secured $3.6 million to upgrade the Eastside reservoir, seven years after it initially tried to secure grant monies for the project.
“This is a significant project, and to have 100 per cent funding contributed by the federal and provincial governments makes this a big win for the taxpayers of Grand Forks,” said the city’s mayor, Brian Taylor, in a press release. “We need to capitalize on fully-funded grants when they become available.”
Sixty per cent of the funding will come from the federal government, while the province will pay for the rest.
The Eastside reservoir was identified in a 2013 engineering report as requiring upgrades. A study found that the reservoir had a smaller capacity than previously thought, (3,450 cubic metres as opposed to 5,000), and would eventually impact flow rates. The upgrades are meant to include a capacity expansion, the installation of data-monitoring equipment and money to manage the facility into the future. Design work is scheduled to begin in late Summer, with construction expected in 2021.
The money comes from the “Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program” administered by the federal government. Nelson’s Civic Theatre also received funding through the program to divide the facility into three separate theatre spaces and update its lobby.