North Nanaimo Water Pressure Gets Boost

Labieux Booster Station Opens

Mayor and Council officially opened The Labieux Booster Station today with the firing up of the pumps as part of water infrastructure upgrades servicing the north end of Nanaimo.

The north end of Nanaimo is the farthest from the Jump Lake water supply and has some of the highest elevations in the City. With continued growth in the north end and during periods of high demand, especially in the summer, adequate water supply to north Nanaimo has been difficult to maintain. As a result, the Lost Lake and Tanya Drive reservoirs are slow to fill, and water pressures drop through the north section of the water distribution system.

According to Mayor Gary Korpan, “The Labieux Booster Station is an example of how the City of Nanaimo continues to develop improvements to infrastructure in the community and the Labieux Booster station provides for a cost effective and sustainable means for managing infrastructure.”

Larry McNabb, Chair of the Water Supply Advisory Committee stated “The Labieux Booster station is part of our Water Supply Strategic Plan. The City continues to work towards ensuring that the water supply is strengthened for the City as a whole and in the case of the Booster Station, the north end.”

To assist in maintaining and assuring supplies are kept at optimal levels, the Labieux Booster Station, with its 4 large 60 horsepower pumps, will sustain water pressures to the north end of the City. The station pushes the water to the areas that need it faster and ensures the reservoirs are replenished for fire protection and periods of high demand. All of the north end water will flow through the station and if the station senses a pressure loss at the north end of the city the pumps will only activate as required.

For more information about the Labieux Booster Station contact Bill Sims, Manager Water Resources at 755-4497 or by email at bill.sims@nanaimo.ca