New reservoir work continues

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Times & Transcript

By: Eric Lewis

Location: A10

Topics: Turtle Creek

The nice weather Metro Monctonians had been enjoying recently also benefitted those working on the City of Moncton's second reservoir in Turtle Creek.

'With the fine weather, they kicked the process into high gear,' said Ensor Nicholson, the city's director of water systems.

The project will greatly increase the number of people that can be served by the city's water supply, which serves residents of Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe. The existing Turtle Creek dam was designed to serve about 80,000 residents; the second dam will create a reservoir capable of serving 175,000 residents.

In April 2011, clearing began for the new reservoir.

Nicholson said that it was expected to take up to two years to clear the 250 hectares required, but contractor R.D. MacLean from Antigonish has the $2.5 million clearing job about 90 per cent complete already.

However, the clearing will be halted for the summer because it is bird nesting season.

Last fall, the dam construction work began. The $30 million project is being handled by Gulf Operators of Saint John, and it is expected to be complete in December of 2013.

A diversion tunnel, which will allow Turtle Creek to pass through while the dam is being built, is still under construction, along with various other parts of the project.

Nicholson said the future reservoir site is buzzing with activity, with one estimate suggesting there are about 60 people on site daily.

'Things have been moving relatively well,' he said.

When all is said and done, the project will cost about $40 million, with the provincial and federal governments each contributing $9,790,000.

The existing Turtle Creek dam and reservoir were built in 1966 and the holding gates were raised to increase the water supply prior to the new water treatment plant opening in 1999, offering Metro Moncton residents and industries water that consistently exceeds all Canadian standards. However, several years of drought in the 1990s, as well as in 2000 and 2001, underlined how the reservoir's capacity could be strained in dry times.

Metro Moncton residents use about 11 million gallons of water per day, or about 100 gallons per person.