A $250,000 infrastructure project at the corner of Alpine Avenue and Fifth Street in 100 Mile House, which started on May 20, is completed except for paving, and that is expected to happen on July 16.
Phil Strain, District of 100 Mile House director of operations, says an old Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) in a manhole in front of Super Save Gas on Alder Avenue had to be replaced because it wasn’t working.
However, the manhole also had to be moved because it was a high-risk for District staff due to its confined entry, as well as being a traffic issue.
Strain says they installed a new PRV vault – two by four metres – on Fifth Street and the boulevard in front of the Cariboo Mall parking lot.
The installation of the new PRV and all the inner workings was completed on June 19 and the tie-ins to the water mains were done on June 22. Strain says they had to do that at night because they had to shut the water off – from around 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. on June 23.
“The new vault is in; it’s operational and we [tested] it that morning. The supplier came up and made sure it was working properly with all the right pressures and no leaks, and everything was good.”
The PRV is important because it reduces the water pressure when it flows down from the 99 Mile Water Tower.
“The water from 99 Mile tower, because of its elevation above the town, by the time it gets down to Fifth Avenue is at 140 pounds per square inch (psi).
“When it goes through the PRV, it comes out at 45 psi, which is normal.”
Strain says the main function of the PRV is controlling the fire flow in the low pressure zone area in the District.
“If there’s a fire in the low pressure zone and the fire department opens up a couple of hydrants, the PRV will open up and allow more water through.”
Bree Contracting Ltd. of 100 Mile House, which did the project, started preparing for curbing and sidewalk mid-week and poured cement on June 26, Strain says, adding all that’s left is the landscaping and paving to complete the project.
