Koers & Associates was retained by the City of Nanaimo to design the replacement of the City’s Mid-Town Water Supply. This project became a high priority for the City when a 750mm dia. prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (Hyprescon) water supply main failed catastrophically, flooded Bowen Road and impacted the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital’s water supply.

The project scope includes a new Primary Transmission watermain between College Drive, near the Nanaimo Parkway, to the Labieux Road booster station and a new Secondary Transmission watermain between the Labiuex Road booster station and the Pryde pump station. The project construction has been broken into multiple phases. Phase 1 includes the installation of approximately 4km of twin 1,050mm and 750mm diameter transmission mains, as well as 2km of 600mm dia. secondary transmission main. Phase 2 includes the installation of approximately 3.3km of 1050mm diameter primary transmission main.

HDPE pipe was selected for the majority of the pipe due to its cost, flexibility and performance. Coated carbon steel pipe was used for areas of high pressure above 200 psi. Fully restrained “Earthquake Resistant Ductile Iron Pipe” was used through an area with poor soils where a large degree of settlement is anticipated. The design and installation also included other features of interest, such as three pipe bridges, two PRV stations, pump station modifications, interconnection piping and valving, and access/maintenance road.