North Cedar Improvement District seeks proponents to replace leaking water pipe on Cedar Road using money granted from the Regional District of Nanaimo.
The improvement district will receive $1.13 million of community funds work (gas tax) money for RDN Electoral Area A, an area encompassing Cassidy and Cedar. The improvement district’s responsibilities include provision of water for some 1,200-plus customers in an area of about 30 square kilometres.
Stephen Dives, NCID board chairman, said the approximately 1,400-metre upgrade is necessary because the improvement district is having issues with the line on Cedar Road, which he says, “keeps blowing.”
“The problem is the old AC plate, which is asbestos concrete plate, and the improper placement of the lines within the district, in its early stages, not doing proper plate bed laying,” said Dives. “It’s put on rocks, boulders and so consequently with the road and the traffic, it does punch lines into the old concrete-asbestos pipe and that’s where we’re having issues. The pipe is breaking and that’s why it’s going to be replaced.”
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The tender was issued Tuesday and closes on Oct. 9, seeking “installation of 720m of 250mm diameter PVC water main along Cedar Road from MacMillan Road to just north of Brix Road along with associated valves, hydrants, and service connections.”
As part of work summary, the southbound lane on Cedar Road will be repaved as well.
A moratorium on development in the area is in place and Keith Wilson, RDN Cedar area director, said the line replacement will be beneficial.
“Once the water treatment plant is completed, it will improve the situation in Cedar, especially in terms of people being able to develop their properties and build new homes. There’s quite a number of people on a waiting list that won’t be looked at until the moratorium is over,” said Wilson.
North Cedar Improvement District and RDN partner on projects like the water main project.
The RDN is granted gas tax money via an agreement with the governments of Canada and B.C. and the Union of B.C. Municipalities, with regional district electoral areas receiving money based on population.
The improvement district area starts on Cedar Road at Clifford Road where Nanaimo city limits end, out to the Strait of Georgia, along Duke Point where city limits are and goes down to the boundary between the RDN and Cowichan Valley Regional District.
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