Water booster station coming to Hunters Pointe
Developers of two projects in area will help pay for cost
A long-standing low water pressure issue in the Hunters Pointe area of Welland will be fixed as the city moves forward with the construction of a booster station.
Tuesday, city council voted in favour of awarding a $1.4-million contract to Bronte Construction for construction and installation of the station.
Hunters Pointe subdivision, east of Highway 406, started construction in the late ’90s.
Residents have complained of low water pressure over the years as the development has grown and last year appeared before council when new proposals were put forward for an additional 1,400 residential homes and a few commercial properties.
Ward 4 Coun. Bryan Green said the booster station will ensure proper water pressure for the current development and for future growth.
“The residents have shown much patience but are ready to get this project started and operational,” he said.
Tony DiMarco, the ward’s other councillor, said the project is long overdue.
“This project is going to make a lot of people happy,” he said.
City engineer Erik Nickel said after the tender is awarded, the station will take at least four months to build. He expects the project to be completed within eight months of the contract being signed.
To date, the project has cost about $150,000 in design features to meet engineering and Niagara Region requirements. A total $750,000 over the city’s two past budget years has been set aside for the project.
Nickel told council developments proposed for the area — South Village and one on the former Hunters Pointe Golf Course — will contribute an estimated $1.2 million toward the project if both are approved by council.
His report said if the developments are not approved, city staff will come up with alternate funding plans. Signed agreements, Nickel said, were received from both developers for the funding.
“This took longer than the residents would have wanted and staff invested much time to work with the developers for costsharing agreements to lessen the financial impacts to the city taxpayers,” said Green.
He said development is important, but added the city must ensure infrastructure exists to support growth.