A new water line to the West Bench will come with a bonus walking path.
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen board last week awarded a $1,550,646 contract to H&M Excavating to supply and install the new line that will connect the West Bench to the City of Penticton’s municipal water supply.
The pipe will run underground from the west side of the Okanagan River channel at the north end of Penticton to Veteran Drive on the West Bench.
Additionally, a paved, 2.5-kilometre trail will be built beside existing roadways from Highway 97 to the Husula Highlands over top of the new pipe in places.
H&M Excavating’s bid was the lowest of the six qualified tenders received.
Work on both projects is expected to begin in May and wrap up by the end of August. The new, $9.7-million water system is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
About $5.7 million of the total upgrade cost will be covered by grants from senior governments, and the balance will be borrowed by the RDOS. West Bench residents will then pay 22 cents per cubic metre for their water, plus an up-front payment to the city of $3.6 million that will be covered by the province.