The 49-year-old Eastglen Water Tower will remain standing for at least one more week as the finishing touches are put on the electronic pumping controls of the new underground reservoir.
The delay is due to the commissioning of the mechanical systems inside the pump house facility, said town director of development services Simone Wiley at council’s Nov. 26 meeting.
Originally scheduled for demolition the week of Nov. 26, the tower will now meet its fate the week of Dec. 10.
“There’s a lot of technical things that need to happen with the pumping equipment in there,” she said.
“We need to make sure those controls are functioning appropriately. The physical infrastructure is all done, it’s just a matter of the actual commissioning and it’s very, very detailed.
“The demolition contractor is going to be getting all set up on the 10th and then the 12th is the actual start of demolition.”
The contractor will be making a ramp up the side of the tower with dirt, then the machinery will push the tower in on itself from the top down.
Pomerleau inc. was awarded the contract for the construction of the new reservoir and demolition of the water tower in February and broke ground in the spring. The demolition of the tower will be the final piece of work on the project.
Although the tender was for $4.41 million, with engineering services, material testing and utility servicing and relocations the project has a $6.33 million total price tag, with $3.14 million coming from the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund, a federal grant, $1.7 million from the town’s capital reserves and $284,600 coming from the Westlock Regional Water Service Commission.
The remaining $1.2 million will be borrowed by the municipality.
