Westlock County has postponed the $1.9 million Jarvie water treatment plant upgrade until the Westlock Regional Water Services Commission moves ahead with the Fawcett waterline extension.
Contrary to reports from council’s Sept. 13 meeting to award a tender on Sept. 27, council postponed a decision at last Tuesday’s meeting at the recommendation of CAO Leo Ludwig.
“We want to discuss in more detail the proposed project for the Fawcett extension from the water commission, which would be going right past Jarvie,” Ludwig said.
“We want to see whether or not we can co-ordinate tying into that line into Jarvie, rather than spending that $1.9 million on a water plant upgrade. There’ll still be some upgrades required to the reservoir and the filter in Jarvie, but it’ll be a much different project for a lot less cost to hook onto the regional line.”
Council paused the project at its Sept. 27 meeting, until Ludwig meets with the commission and Alberta Environment in October to discuss the plan.
The Jarvie project’s estimated price tag is $1.9 million — the county, provincial and federal governments will split the cost. However, he noted that the official request for proposals (RFPs) could be for a lower amount if the Jarvie plant is converted to a distribution hub, rather than upgraded to a treatment plant.
Reeve Don Savage said the situation is that, unlike other hamlets in the community, there is no waterline in the north.
“They are pulling water out of wells, and it’s being treated in treatment plants to make it potable,” he said.
In the meantime, Ludwig said a green-sand filter will be used to temporarily address taste and odour concerns for residents.
In June, the provincial government approved the water commission for $639,000 under the Water For Life grant. The grant covers Phase 3 of the Fawcett water line transmission, which includes detailed design work and engineering.
“The Phase 3 project is the connection of all of those hamlets,” said acting commission manager Dean Krause. “So Fawcett would be connected to Jarvie as part of this project. If this line goes through, then that upgrade wouldn’t be required.”
Krause said the commission has received several engineering firm RFPs and will shortlist the applications in October. Firms will then be interviewed and selected before the project commences.
However, he said he expected it would take six months for the engineering and design costs estimates, which the province will review to ensure the grant will cover it, or provide additional funding. Once that is done, tenders for construction would be sent out — funded under the federal government’s Clean Water and Wastewater Fund.
“The best-case scenario, you’re probably looking into 2018 for completion of the project,” Krause said. “Best-case scenario, it would start next summer because it’s 50 kilometres of waterline, booster stations and so forth.”
