The Haslam Lake water trunk main is now fully operational after a three-month shutdown for replacement of the old concrete water pipe that dates back to the 1960s.
Murphy Pipeline Contractors Inc., the main contractor, continues to do on-site clean-up, but the new pipeline is delivering water from Haslam Lake to Powell River consumers.
The project placed many demands on the region’s water system, with the main delivery system being shut down. Director of Infrastructure for the City of Powell River, Tor Birtig, says during the construction, a smaller bypass water system was installed and was able to meet the community’s water requirements during the water main closure from July until the end of October.
With the smaller bypass system in place, Murphy Contractors utilized a process called sliplining to install the new water pipe from Haslam Lake to the reservoir.
The existing pipeline, made of concrete, is at the end of its service life.
Rather than digging up the old pipeline and installing a new one in its place, Murphy opened access points at the lake and the reservoir and pulled a fused high-density polyethylene pipe through the old pipeline while the bypass was operating.
During the process, the City was moved the Stage Two water restrictions. With the new water line in place, the City has reverted to Stage One water restrictions.
For more information, visit powellriver.civicweb.net.
