Traffic disruptions this week represents the beginning of anticipated significant wastewater infrastructure work along Nanaimo's Hammond Bay Rd. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

Big ticket projects

‘It’s tied to population growth’: RDN to expand Nanaimo sewer capacity

Jan 15, 2025 | 5:25 AM

NANAIMO — Crews are test-drilling along Nanaimo’s Hammond Bay Rd. this week in advance of anticipated substantial wastewater infrastructure projects.

James Haddou, Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) capital project delivery manager, told NanaimoNewsNOW ongoing geotechnical work represents feasibility and conceptual tasks in advance of twinning a wastewater line.

“It’s tied to population growth,” Haddou said. “The Departure Bay Pump Station is near capacity as it is and in order to provide service for population growth we are considering increasing the capacity of the pump station.”

The workhorse pump station handles a majority of Nanaimo’s wastewater, according to Haddou, which is primarily fed via gravity from all over the central Nanaimo area.

He said the pump station located at the north end of Departure Bay Beach then delivers wastewater via an underground line known as a force main to the Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre (GNPCC).

Big ticket projects

'It's tied to population growth': RDN to expand Nanaimo sewer capacity

5h ago

weather watch

As fruit buds swell, B.C. farmers hit by 2024 deep freeze hope for better harvest

9h ago

Frequent visitor

Conservative leader delivers crime, drug and housing plans during Nanaimo pre-election stop

Jan 14, 2025

Work could begin later this year to twin a wastewater line beneath Hammond Bay Rd. (RDN)

Haddou said twinning the force main, which primarily follows beneath Hammond Bay Rd. to the GNPCC off McGuffie Rd., represents a significant pending project valued at about $40 million.

Test drilling along Hammond Bay Rd. is an essential task to help guide the project’s next steps, he noted.

“That allows us to understand the condition of the subsurface of the ground and any limitations or advantages that we might gain from what’s underneath.”

The RDN’s provisional 2025-2029 financial plan also calls for nearly $33 million in upgrades to the Departure Bay Pump Station, one of three facilities within city limits pushing wastewater to the GNPCC prior to an extensive treatment process.

The RDN’s Departure Bay Pump Station accepts about 75 per cent of the city’s flows. A pair of other RDN wastewater pump stations serve north and south Nanaimo (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

While Haddou said twinning the wastewater line beneath Hammond Bay Rd. could proceed later this year, he said it’s unclear when precisely the project will start and how the public will be impacted.

“As we get more information that we can provide with reliability we will be posting that on our Get Involved page on our RDN website.”

This week alternating traffic on Hammond Bay Rd. is in effect through Friday, Jan 17 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Haddou said disruptions this week shouldn’t be too noticeable, noting crews are working in one, localized area at a time.

More information on the RDN’s wastewater services is available here.

Five year capital plan for wastewater infrastructure in Nanaimo. (RDN)

Follow us on Facebook. Join Everything Nanaimo on Facebook and stay connected with everything happening on central Vancouver Island.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook