The City of Moncton is moving forward on a long term plan to improve the water and wastewater infrastructure, particularly in the Hall’s Creek/Wheeler Boulevard area.
Design and Construction Director Alcide Richard says currently, older parts of the combined sewer system can overflow when too much rain falls.
He adds the new work will separate water from wastewater as it travels to the treatment plant in Riverview.
“This could last us for the next 100 years, 125 years, that’s usually what we try to design a sewer system for,” says Richard. “Oftentimes it lasts a lot longer than that, the important thing here is that when you’re designing these lift stations you make them expandable.”
Richard continues, saying that “if things happen slower than you’re thinking you don’t want to have a pump that’s too big because you’re paying too much electricity, the flipside is if you do need it, you can expand.”
He adds all those items will come out in the detailed design process.
Richard says the oldest parts of the sewer system in Moncton date back to 1895, and the engineers at the time could not possibly have predicted the growth of the City.
Now, he says, it’s time to get rid of the combined sewer system where possible.
“By taking your separated sewage, and sending it eventually directly to the treatment plant it’s going to ensure that sewage doesn’t overflow, and it’ll also create more expansion and possibilities for development within the downtown Core,” says Richard.
Richard says the total cost of this large project is $30 million, to be completed over the next three years.
He adds while the scope of the work is quite significant, the actual work itself is relatively straightforward.
