Mona Lisa savours a glass of clear well water near a flood retention pond
Water is the driving force of all nature — Leonardo da Vinci.
Tantramar Council allocated thousands on Tuesday to ensure the steady flow of well water into Sackville taps and thousands more to add the final touches to a project designed to keep flood waters flowing out of town and into the Tantramar River.
“Pump house one and two are old timber construction pump houses in the Sackville well field that are in significantly deteriorated condition,” Town Engineer Jon Eppell told council.
“They were planned to start replacement about four years ago, but it’s just now happening,” he added.
“The estimated cost — and I emphasize it is estimated — is about $113,000.”
Eppell noted that the cost is within the capital budget already allocated for the project.
It includes $55,000 to replace temporary pump #1 that was installed after the main pump failed last winter as well as additional well-drilling work; $35,000 for electrical work and $22,000 for additional technical work on both wells #1 and #2.
The new pump house #1, with its detachable metal roof, was installed last week and still requires installation of siding
Eppell said the pump house over well #3 is made of fibreglass and is in good shape.
All three wells and the water treatment plant are in the Walker Road/Ogden Loop area.
“There is some urgency from our end to get this done because this is a lower water demand period for us,” Eppell said.
“We’re only running off two well pumps so we are a little bit vulnerable and we want to get this done and finished before the university students return.”
To read the town engineer’s full report to council, click here.
For earlier coverage, click here.
Finishing touches
Meantime, council heard that town managers were successful in their application for an additional $510,000 in provincial money to finish Phase III of Sackville’s Lorne Street flood control project designed to retain excess storm water during heavy rains and then discharge it into the Tantramar River at low tide.
Council voted to allocate $172,200 for the construction of two pedestrian bridges that will complete the walking trail around retention pond #3 behind the community gardens on Charles Street.
The bridges are needed to cross one ditch that will drain water from retention pond #2 beside Lorne Street via pipes already installed under the CN tracks and another ditch about 100 metres away that will drain water from a nearby wetland.
Without the bridges, hikers and dog walkers around retention pond #3 would be forced to retrace their steps instead of completing a circular loop.
“I know personally, I don’t like going on a trail so much where I have to go one way and then come back the same way,” Eppell told reporters after the council meeting.
“It’s nice to do a loop and see something slightly different.”
Photo shows 3 pipes installed under the CN tracks that will carry water into retention pond #3. A pedestrian bridge will be built across the ditch that will be dug where the yellow barriers are
