Gallagher Lake Siphon Repair

Progress Updates

• April 2022 Progress Update

  • The H&M Excavating Ltd crew focused on building up the new road bed into the newly constructed pump station, completed seeding the OIB lands and assisted the electricians to install both pump station station transformers. H&M now has all the components to construct the main siphon drainage assembly and plan to complete it within days.
  • Sub-contractor Cumming Contruction, is back to working with one crew only at the pump station. They continued to clean & secure minor items that still need attention before opening day. This week, it included pouring the concrete pads outside the electrical room and pump bay doors and Installion of the four “actuators” on the pump butterfly valves.
  • Sub-contractor Four Point Electric Inc., focused exclusively on installing the components within the lift electrical room, battery room & the upper pump bay. Both transformers have been installed and power to the lift station was energized on April 8. The fours pumps are scheduled for testing on April 19, followed by operation approval.
  • THIS IS OPENING WEEK. Cumming Construction Ltd., H&M Excavating Ltd & Four Point Electric are all on site full time or as required and are on schedule. The canal is currently flowing under gravity.
    
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• March 2022 Progress Update

  • H&M Excavating Ltd, had a slow week due to the cooler weather. The crew had plans to begin adding material and shaping the outlet structure area, unfortunately the very cold nights froze the soil and made it unsuitable to continue. H&M Excavating is ahead of schedule, and this week will not alter that. Milder temperatures are forecasted next week and the crew will resume the outlet build.
  • Sub-contractor Cumming Contruction, was back to working at one site location. The lift station crew, continued to clean, patch, polish & secure the many minor items that need attention before opening day.
  • Sub-contractor Four Point Electric Inc., focused exclusively on installing the components within the lift electrical room, battery room & the upper pump bay. A large shipment of key components arrived on Friday and the Cumming Construction team assisted the Four Point crew to move the weighty and cumbersome parts into the electrical room.
  • 5 WEEKS TO OPENING DAY. 
• February 2022 Progress Update

  • H&M Excavating Ltd, continued to concentrate their efforts around the lift station. The crew built up the proposed cul-du-sac area and to the road “sub-base” elevation. The road can now access the property east of the canal right-of-way and is able handle a variety of vehicles. The team then resumed building up the remaining lock block walls that contain the lift station perimeter access road. All the foundation blocks are now set but the crew will wait for milder weather before resuming.
  • Sub-contractor Cumming Construction, worked in two teams. The lift station crew, installed all four submersible pumps within the lift station pump bay! Once meticulously set in place, the crew placed the “lid” on each pump casing, secured the various pump cables and fastened the overflow pipes. The four wall mounted access ladders to the lift station pump bay and discharge bay floor slabs are now installed and accessible. The siphon outlet team successfully poured the concrete for the ballast wall and the access ramp retaining wall. After covering for days, they removed the concrete forms on Friday and patched all the form tie-rod holes.
  • Sub-contractor Four Point Electric Inc., focused exclusively on installing the components within the lift electrical room, battery room, pump bay ceiling. The crew assisted with the air-conditioning mini-split installation within the electrical room.
  • 6 WEEKS TO OPENING DAY. Cumming Construction Ltd., H&M Excavating Ltd
    & Four Point Electric. are all on site full time and are on schedule
• January 2022 Progress Update

  • Another week of mild winter weather was helpful for all the project contractors.
    H&M Excavating Ltd moved their heavy equipment over to the siphon outlet structure on the OIB lands, and resumed construction. The team excavated the remainder of the siphon trench, the ballast wall footing area, and the full length of the strip footing for the utility access ramp retaining wall. H&M then began installing the remaining 1500mm siphon pipe and nearly joined the ballast wall by weeks end.
  • Sub-contractor Cumming Construction, split into two teams. One began building the lift station south wall, which includes the connection to the 1500mm main siphon pipe. That crew constructed the inner wall form, built up the forms around the PVC pipe and methodically assembled and secured the structural rebar. They are planning to pour the wall next week. The second team moved to the outlet structure, and began building the footing forms for the ballast wall and the strip footing for the access ramp retaining wall. The forms were completed on Friday and the crew had scheduled the rebar installation and concrete for early next week.
  • Sub-contractor Four Point Electric Inc., focused exclusively on installing the components within the lift station electrical room, battery room and along the pump bay ceiling.
  • 10 WEEKS TO OPENING DAY. Four Point Electric now has safe and complete access to the site
    and they are currently on schedule. Cumming Construction Ltd. and H&M Excavating Ltd. are on site full time and are on schedule
• December 2021 Progress Update

  • This week, H&M Excavating Ltd. placed the remaining 1500mm PVC siphon pipe to the lift station.  The crew removed the temporary “bailey bridge” over the existing canal and permanently removed another 16m of the original concrete canal. The temporary steel “blind flange” was removed from the last completed pipe section and from there, the crew placed three full sections and a 90 degree bend. They precut the last section to be encased in the lift station south wall but set it aside as the lift station concrete team use the temporary opening to convey equipment, supplies and it functions as emergency degrees. H&M then backfilled much of the pipe and poured a large concrete “thrust block” at the 90 degree bend that is
    designed to prevent any pipe movement.
  • Sub-contractor Cumming Construction Ltd, continued building up the lift station “suspended slab”. The crew concentrated on assembling the perimeter wall forms and placing the numerous utility access hatches, venting grates, sensor housings and electrical chases. The structural rebar team arrived at the site on Wednesday and began placing the three pre-constructed beams and assembling the two layers of slab re-enforcing. The structural rebar was inspected and approved on Thursday and then the lift station was enclosed and heated overnight. Friday was cold, but with all the preparation the pour was successful.
  • The mid-term lift station schedule has been entirely focused on getting electrical sub-contractor started.  The Cumming crew has worked tirelessly to construct the lift station and has aimed to be ready for the electricians by the first week of January. This allows the sub-contractor 13 weeks to opening day and their progress will be commented on in these reports. H&M are on site full time and are currently on schedule.
• November 2021 Progress Update

  • This week, sub-contractor Cumming Construction Ltd, remained the only crew on site, and they continued with the lift station construction. The previous week, the crew formed and poured the concrete pump surrounds in each of the four pump bays. This week, they fastened a stainless steel mesh against all the pump bay walls. This “mesh” is an anti-vortex component to control the turbulence in the flowing water when the pumps are operating. With the anti-vortex mesh installed, the crew meticulously re-positioned the steel pump casings and securely bolted them in place. Weather conditions have been near ideal for this time of year and the construction crew has responded with solid productivity.
  • H&M Excavating Ltd. now expects to be on site starting November 29. They will begin with a small crew and intend to start removals and construction on the outlet structure.
  • The entire site is clean, organized and all potential hazardous areas are protected with fencing or barriers.
• October 2021 Progress Update

  • The contractor has completed the majority of construction tasks not associated with the final connections to the existing canal. No work can procede on the existing canal until it closes for the season on November 1, 2021. H&M have not been on the site for several weeks and have indicated that it could be several more weeks before they may return. TRUE Consulting will not issue any further weekly reports until construction activity resumes.
  •  The site is clean, organized and all potential hazardous areas are protected with fencing or barriers.
• September 2021 Progress Update

  • This week, the contractor was working with a minimal crew and focused solely on completing the pressure tests on the two HDPE pipes recently installed on the OIB lands and a final pressure test on the entire 1500mm PVC siphon mainline. The contractor pressurized the 150mm & 100mm HDPE line to 150 pounds per square inch (psi), capped it and left it for a defined time. TRUE consulting witnessed both tests and confirmed no leakage. Next, the contractor filled the approximately 1300m of installed 1500mm PVC mainline with water. A cap was placed on the temporary end and the line was pressurized to 15 psi at the cap close to the lift station. The pipe was left pressurized for more than a day. TRUE consulting witnessed the entire process and confirmed the mainline was water tight.
  • The site is clean, organized and all potential hazardous areas are protected with fencing or barriers.
• August 2021 Progress Update

  • This week, the contractor was focused on installing the 1500mm PVC mainline and a parallel 150mm HDPE siphon drain pipe. The active work site is now entirely on OIB lands and well off the highway.  By weeks end, a total of 134m of mainline and drain pipe had been placed. Next week, the 1500mm mainline will temporarily capped just short of the original open canal and prepared for a pressure test.  The mainline, along with the outlet structure, will be completed after the canal closes this fall.
  • One member of the environmental oversite team was onsite to monitor the snake fence and to explore the site for any snakes that may have breached the perimeter fence. No snakes were encountered.
  • One member of the archaeology team was on site to monitor the excavations, working closely with the lead H&M excavator operator during all excavations.
  • The active site is clean and organized and all personal are working in a safe manner. Road construction signs along Highway 97 have all been removed, with highway speeds returned to 80 kph.
• July 2021 Progress Update

  • This week, the contractor was working with a reduced crew and focused solely on installing the second siphon access hatch and then completed a portion of the main siphon drainage assembly. This second, and final steel access hatch “T” was installed at the lowest point along the siphon alignment. It was designed and located to access, monitor and clean any sediment that might build up at this low point and to ensure that the main siphon drain hole is free of any obstructions. The crew then started installing a section of the siphon drainage assembly. A steel “saddle” was clamped around the 1500mm PVC pipe that allowed for a connection between the main siphon and the drain pipe. A 6m section of drain pipe was then installed along with two gate valves.
  • At the inlet structure, the steel entry fencing and gates have been installed. The design called for one double gate for the main vehicle entry with an adjacent 4 foot wide gate. The entire six foot fencing was topped with three layers of barbed wire.
  • A member of the archaeology team was on site to monitor the excavations, working closely with the lead H&M excavator operator during all excavations.
  • The active site is clean and organized and all crews are working in a safe manner. Road construction signs and safety pilons are set up along Highway 97. Highway 97 speed has been reduced to 50 kph through the site. No traffic flaggers were on site this week.
• June 2021 Progress Update

  • The Contractor worked on several fronts. Early in the week, H&M resumed placing the 1500mm PVC pipe on the OIB lands just south of the Gallagher Frontage Road. They removed the temporary end cap used for last week’s pressure test, and by weeks end a total of 55m of pipe was placed including one pipe bend. With a paving day scheduled for Thursday, the contractor worked to prepare the road shoulder along Highway 97 and the roadbed under the Gallagher Frontage Road intersection. All the road preparations were tested by a geotechnical engineer and the final paving results considered highly satisfactory. After paving, the contractor began forming and grooming the drainage ditch between the frontage road and the highway. Once the drainage ditch reconstruction is complete, this should signal the end of all construction along the roads. 
  • The active site is clean and organized and all crews are working in a safe manner. Road construction signs and safety pilons are set up through the active excavation along Highway 97 and Gallagher Lake Frontage Road. Minor traffic interruptions along the frontage road were managed by traffic flaggers and Highway 97 speed has been reduced to 50 kph through the site.
  • The archaeology team were on site to monitor the excavation. They worked closely with the lead H&M excavator operator during all excavations.
• May 2021 Progress Update

  • H&M has temporarily stopped the siphon pipe excavation down Highway 97 just north of the Gallagher Lake Frontage Road intersection and is waiting for FortisBC to re-route existing gas lines that cross the excavation. The area is left secured and fenced. FortisBC has experienced construction delays on this portion and has advised H&M that all construction will now be completed on May 31. H&M is planning to re-start this portion of the excavation on June 1.
  • This weeks work was installing the 1500mm PVC pipe just east of Highway 97, working easterly towards the partially completed lift station. By weeks end over 123m of pipe was installed with work along this section set to continue all next week.
  • Archaeology testing is substantially complete along the proposed siphon alignment. The archaeology team was on site to monitor the FortisBC gas line installation along the Gallagher Lake Frontage Road.
• April 2021 Progress Update

  • Excavation has begun between Highway 97 and the Gallagher Lake Frontage Road. With the use of a steel trench shoring ‘cage’ to reduce the size of the cut, the 1500mm diameter PVC pipe is being installed between the two roads.
  • The 2021 irrigation system is now underway: water level is now operating at seasonal norms, and all permanent and temporary structures are functioning as designed.
  • Steel pipe casings were installed across the north end of Highway 97, four sections of PVC pipe have now been installed through this casing.
  • Archaeology testing is still underway near the culturally sensitive area.
• March 2021 Progress Update

  • Steel decking was added to the inlet structure.
  • Lift station is being prepared to hold water for the coming irrigation season.
  • Vaseux Creek restoration is nearing completion, many of the trees and shrubs that were originally removed during creek excavation were placed on the creek side slope.
  • Backfilling over and around the inlet pipe connection to the pump station has been completed.
  • Archaeology testing is underway near the culturally sensitive area.
• February 2021 Progress Update

  • Vaseux Creek stream bed restoration was completed.
  • Final sections of the 8 foot concrete have been installed.
  • Joints inside the 8 foot concrete pipe have been grouted.
  • Work around 8 foot concrete pipe at connection point to the Lift Station has commenced.
  • Thick, protective concrete slabs have been placed over the 8 foot concrete pipe under active portion of Vaseux Creek.
  • Final 11 sections of spillway box culvert have been placed.
• January 2021 Progress Update

  • Walls and Columns of Lift Station continue to be formed and poured.
  • Sections of 8ft concrete pipe continue to be installed.
• December 2020 Progress Update

  • Third concrete pour successfully completed.
  • Fish Fencing installed up and down stream of the Vaseux Creek Crossing.
  • Shoring work to temporarily divert Vaseux Creek was completed during the second week of December.
• November 2020 Progress Update

  • Sections of pipe were delivered to site.
  • Under ideal weather conditions the first Siphon Lift Station concrete pour was successfully completed Mid-November.

  • Second concrete pour was completed the following week.