The City of Grand Forks’ East Zone Reservoir Replacement project is on track to come in under budget.
The work is part of phase one of the city’s larger water system improvements project, funded through a $3,980,924 federal infrastructure grant and a $350,000 city contribution.
That sets the total project budget at $4,330,924.
Well improvements are planned for phase two.
Capital projects director Ben Stevens gave an update at the Sept. 18 council meeting.
In 2024, the reservoir replacement was estimated to cost $4,052,000, while phase two’s well work was pegged at about $2,009,000.
But according to Stevens, phase one is now expected to cost less than originally budgeted.
“There is a projected surplus for the reservoir itself of just over $800,000, which is great news,” said Stevens.
“Now we have a sense of how much of the grant funding would be available for that next phase, the well improvements.”
Even under budget, Stevens said the city will still be able to build a larger reservoir with capacity of 5,800 cubic metres.
“At 5,800 cubic metres, we are covered for storage well into the future, even with a more conservative calculation of storage requirements than our bylaw has,” he said.
The new tank will also increase water pressure. Stevens said staff chose a glass-fused-to-steel tank instead of an underground concrete one.
He explained that the above-ground tank will raise water levels several metres higher than the top of the current reservoir, leading to stronger pressure in the valley.
“That’s a good thing, generally, because we have pressure challenges in some areas, in particular the West End,” he said.
“It does mean that everywhere in the valley, pressures will be a few psi higher. So there’s a limit to how tall we can build that tank, and that’s one of the reasons we’re recommending the shorter, wider one.”
Council members asked if that could cause infrastructure problems.
“Are you concerned about the size of the tank? With the added pressure, are we expecting more problems that we’ll all have to change either pumps or a lot of other work associated with that?” asked Councillor Rod Zielinski.
Stevens replied that the tank will be brought online gradually to prevent issues.
“We’ve got years before we need to utilize that full amount of storage, and so we’ll fill it slowly and see if there’s any issues. But it does allow us to keep the pressures in the valley under the recommended limit,” Stevens said.
The new reservoir is slated for completion in May 2026, with phase two’s well improvements targeted for December 2026.
Want to get your business noticed? Have you considered advertising through your local radio station? Speak to one of our sales agents and find out how radio advertising can boost your business today. Call 250-365-7600 or email Vista Radio.
