Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Port Alberni, B.C. is ready to begin construction of a substantiial upgrade of the city’s drinking water infrastructure.
Rolling out in four phases over the next seven years, the project involves replacing a total of 4.65 kms of aging, mostly underground pipework that connects the city to its water treatment plant, a City of Port Alberni release said.
Phase one will begin on April 6, 2026 with the replacement of a 1.1 km section of watermain running north along Franklin River Road from the Bainbridge Water Treatment Plant. The steel pipe currently in place was installed in 1962 and is now at the end of its useful life, the release said.
“Our community really felt the impact of this vital infrastructure during the vehicle incident in 2023, and this project is a high priority. Replacing the Franklin River Road source watermain is an essential part of the city’s infrastructure that supports access to a high-quality water service for our community,” Port Alberni mayor Sharie Minions said.
The new watermain will be a high-density polyethylene [HDPE] fused pipe located entirely underground and carries an expected lifespan of approximately 100 years.
The area affected by construction begins at the Bainbridge Water Treatment Plant near the intersection of Franklin River Road and Mt. Arrowsmith Ski Road and ends approximately 1.1 km north along Franklin River Road. Construction will be active starting April 6, 2026 until July 2026, the release said.
The cost estimate for phase one, provided by the engineering consultant, is $4,033,000 and funding was approved by Port Alberni council in June 2025 allocated from the Water Fund Capital Reserve.
More information about the project is available here.
