Progress Report on WLQS Project...

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

Another component of Phase 1 of the West Quesnel Land Stability dewatering program will get underway this week. Nine horizontal drain sites that will consist of about 70 horizontal drains will be installed across the bottom of the West Quesnel Land Stability study area (along Lewis Drive and near Avery Street). The work is scheduled to take about 14 weeks to complete.

The horizontal drains are long pieces of pipe (with a target of 125 metres or longer) that are drilled into the side of the slope. Groundwater makes its way into the pipe and flows out into a collection system. As these drains are emptied using gravity, ongoing operational costs are minimal.

The horizontal drains are part of a larger dewatering program designed to help reduce land movement in the West Quesnel Land Stability study area. In May, 14 vertical pumping wells were drilled at a number of different sites along Dixon Street, near Stork and Crane Avenues, and in a wooded area to the west of Abbott Drive near Dawson Street. A new storm water drainage system was also installed on Stork Avenue and Hawk Street.

Several supporting jobs are also set to begin shortly, including:

. Abbott Drive, Stork Avenue and Hawk Street paving is expected to be complete in the next few weeks.
. Lewis Pond dewatering begins this week.
. Fourteen monitoring wells (used to measure the effectiveness of the dewatering program) will be installed at various sites beginning July 23.
. Drain lines to connect wells and horizontal drains to the City's storm drainage system and electrical conduit to provide power to all sites will be installed next month.

There may be some localized traffic delays; motorists are asked to respect signage and flag people's instructions. The City thanks residents for their patience as these ongoing important investments are made in the West Quesnel Land Stability study area.

The WQLS dewatering program is a $4.7 million project. More than $3.1 million was provided by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, through the Building Canada Fund-Communities Component program, part of Canada's Economic Action Plan for this project. The City of Quesnel contributed more than $1.5 million to pay for the full-scale dewatering program. In addition to this, the City has invested more than $2.1 million on the West Quesnel Land Stability Program since 2000.