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Installation of East Langley water pipeline completed

Work to fix leaks and ‘accumulation of foreign debris’ will delay opening of third phase

All the pipe for the massive East Langley Water Supply Project has been installed, and water is flowing through some sections.

But parts of it  won’t be fully operational until January of next year, a report from the Township engineering division says.

The $33.5 million project was originally supposed to be finished by late 2014, but problems with terrain, leaky pipes and other unexpected issues have seen the completion date moved back several times.

An Oct. 1 unsigned memo to mayor and council says while water is flowing through the pipeline section that runs between Willoughby and Murrayville,  “some work remains to address deficiencies” in the section that runs between Murrayville and East Langley.

Testing to detect and fix leaks is continuing on the pipeline between 236 Street and 240 Street on 52 Avenue, the memo states, and cleaning out an  “accumulation of foreign debris”  from the pipeline will take eight to 12 weeks.

Leaks were first uncovered during pressure testing of the line east of 248 Street.

A July memo to council said the pipeline manufacturer “has recently advised of quality control issues necessitating replacement of some sections [of pipe].”

The East Langley line is the biggest project ever undertaken by the Township’s engineering department, with 14 kilometres of one-metre diameter water main and a booster pump station connecting to the regional Metro Vancouver water system.

Township planners expect the East Langley Water Supply will bring an end to the severe watering restrictions that east Langley residents and businesses have faced during summer months to avoid depleting the aquifers. Work on the water pipeline got underway in May 2013.

Despite the delays, staff say the project is on track to stay within its $33.5 million approved budget.



Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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