NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
January 14, 2020
Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako’s Fort Fraser Water System Project Completed
Fort Fraser, British Columbia – The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN) is pleased to announce the official completion and commissioning of the Fort Fraser Infrastructure Improvement (Water System) Project.
The $3.7 million project would not have been undertaken without significant financial assistance from the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia through the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund. The Regional District was successful in obtaining a $3.1 million grant for the community of Fort Fraser to replace 5km of the water distribution system and applicable appurtenances. The remaining of the funds for the project were allocated from RDBN’s Fort Fraser Utility Reserves and RDBN Area “D” (Fraser Lake Rural) Grant in Aid funding.
The project commenced in 2017, with the majority of the work on the system completed in 2018, and the final finishing touches in 2019. Engineering and project management was completed by True Consulting, and the prime contractor was Infracon Construction Ltd.
RDBN Board Vice-Chair and Area “D” Fraser Lake Rural Director Mark Parker stated that “for the Community of Fort Fraser, the water project was a great accomplishment and has ensured clean and safe drinking water for the residents for years to come. It was a great pleasure to be a part of this project.”
Don Webster, Chair of the Fort Fraser Local Community Commission, stated that “for a community of approximately 365 people, Fort Fraser was privileged to have their water distribution system replaced.”
The RDBN and the Fort Fraser Local Community Commission would like to thank the residents of Fort Fraser for their patience and cooperation during project construction.
– 30 –
Media Contact: Mark Parker, Board Vice-Chair & Area “D” Fraser Lake Rural Director
Don Webster, Chair Fort Fraser Local Community Commission
Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako
250-692-3195
Background Information:
In early 2017, the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN) was awarded $3,101,384 from the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada through the Clean Water Wastewater Fund for the community of Fort Fraser’s water system. This funding amounted to 87% of the total project’s cost. The remainder of the funds came from the Fort Fraser utility reserves and an Area “D” Grant in Aid.
The engineering and project management portion of the project was awarded to True Consulting, who managed the project from design to on the ground implementation. The engineered designs were completed in 2017 in preparation for the project to commence in the spring of 2018. The ground-breaking ceremony, held on May 24, 2018, involved the Fort Fraser Local Community Commission, local MLA John Rustad’s staff, project contractors, and RDBN staff. The construction tender was awarded to Infracon Construction Ltd. who sub-contracted out to local contractors and hired a few local labourers. Both contractors did an outstanding job ensuring the project was delivered on time, in scope and within budget.
The scope of the project was to replace 80% of the community’s drinking water distribution system which had included new water lines, hydrants, isolation valves and service shut offs to properties. The new system will accommodate the current user capacity and allow for future infill in the community. It will also ensure adequate and reliable water for firefighting services for the community.
The project was completed smoothly with only a few obstacles which delayed the construction, pushing the crews into the cooler fall weather of 2018, but still giving the crew enough time to completely hook up the community to the new distribution system. Completion of the landscaping and paving in the early part of the summer in 2019 resulted in a better finished product for the community as excavated grounds had adequate time to settle.
The RDBN and Fort Fraser Local Community Commission would like to thank the residents of Fort Fraser for their patience and cooperation during project construction. It was understood that the project would interrupt the community during construction with extra noise and changes in traffic flows, and water supply disruptions were kept to a minimum to minimize the impact to the residents.
The project was vital to the community due to the fact the previous infrastructure had reached its end of useful life, creating the potential to disrupt essential water service, as well as create health and safety concerns for the community. For a project of this size, it was a huge accomplishment for the small un-incorporated community. RDBN is excited to announce that the total project cost at $3,712,861 came under budget by $69,748.