River’s Edge Water Quality Improvement Project

Thank you for your cooperation over the summer and fall months while we completed the well drilling and testing phase of the project.

Work Completed

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) has completed the well drilling, development, pump testing and water quality testing of five new wells. This includes PW09, an extra well drilled in addition to the four initial wells planned in this project. The well locations are shown on the map below.

The long-term continuous and sustainable pumping rates (safe yields) at low ground water level conditions and the safe yields at intermittent or high groundwater conditions are given in the table below.

Well # PW08, located in the Stormwater Community Park near Honey Wulff Close, was pump tested at 7.5 USGPM. Although the well was able to sustainably produce water, the aquifer at this location was found to have a significant hydraulic connection between the lower and middle aquifer. Since this project is intended to minimize chloride intrusion from the lower aquifer into the middle aquifer, and pumping this well (PW08) would be counterproductive to that objective, it was decided not to bring PW08 into operation.

Chloride concentrations in all of the RDN’s River’s Edge production wells were checked at different pumping durations to gain an in-depth understanding of the hydraulic connections between the middle aquifer and lower aquifer at each well location, and to determine whether short vs. long pumping durations would trigger a significant rise in chloride levels. A summary of chloride concentrations is given in the table below.

Next Steps

The Project Hydrogeologist is currently analyzing the data to determine whether connecting each new well to the River’s Edge water system will meet the overall project objective of minimizing chloride intrusion. He will also recommend a safe, sustainable operating schedule for the wells. The final hydrogeological report will be completed in March 2026 and the RDN will include this report in an application to Island Health for source approval of the new wells. Once the source approval has been received, the RDN will issue a competitive tender for construction of the watermains, power, and control works that would bring the new wells into operation. While waiting for the source approval, the RDN has retained MPE Engineering to undertake the survey, design work, tender specifications, and permit applications. MPE will also provide construction supervision once construction begins.

Anticipated Project Timeline

• Surveying and pump design – December 2025 to February 2026
• Completion of hydrogeological analyses and reporting – February/March 2026
• Completion of design and tender specifications for watermains and power/control infrastructure – March/April 2026
• Confirmation of Island Health source approval – April/May 2026
• Construction permits received from Island Health and Ministry of Transportation and Transit – May 2026
• Tender invitation – May/June 2026
• Construction begins – August 2026
• Construction is complete – March 2027
• Property owners indicate their intended debt repayment option to RDN (as one lump sum or tax amortization of project costs) – June/July 2027
• Project is closed – September 2027

Thank you for your cooperation over the summer months during the well drilling and testing.

Work Completed

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) completed the well drilling and well screen development of four new groundwater wells at the locations shown in the map image below. Twenty-four-hour pumping tests of PW06 and PW07 were completed in early September 2025, and the twenty-four-hour pumping tests of the other two wells, PW05 and PW08 will be completed by mid-September 2025. The long-term continuous and sustainable pumping test rate (safe yield) from each well will be determined after the completion of all the pumping tests. Based on the safe yield from each well, an appropriate well pump and motor will be ordered and installed.

The preliminary analyses, based on the completed twenty-four-hour pumping tests of PW06 and PW07 and the short pumping tests of PW05 and PW08, show that the safe yield of PW06 would be approximately 30 United States Gallons Per Minute (USGPM) and the other three wells would be approximately 5 USGPM each. Since the RDN's initial plan was to withdraw a total of 60 USGPM from these new wells, this leaves a shortfall of approximately 10-15 USGPM production rate. To accommodate this shortfall, an additional well will be drilled, PW09.

Next Steps

PW09 will be drilled at one of the RDN's existing well sites, PW01, near 2260 Peterson Road (see photo below). The existing wells at this site were completed in the lower aquifer and they are only being used for monitoring purposes. The new well at this site will be completed in the middle aquifer layer where the good drinking water source is located. Considering there is already a transmission main installed at this site which could be connected to the new well, and the RDN has a utility right-of-way at this site requiring almost no additional site preparation for the new well, PW09 can be drilled and brought into operation within the existing budget. Additionally, having PW09 drilled as part of the ongoing drilling project reduces the contractor's mobilization and demobilization costs allowing the drilling, development and pumping tests to be completed at the competitive tender rate obtained for the other four wells. The drilling, development and pumping test of PW09 is planned to be completed by October 31, 2025.

The RDN is also in the process of retaining an engineering consultant to provide survey, design and construction supervision for the civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and control/automation aspect of the transmission mains and well site infrastructure for all of the wells completed in this project. The construction of this phase is tentatively planned to begin in the summer of 2026.

Date: June 30 to September 30, 2025

Time: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Well drilling will begin on June 30, 2025 at the PW05 Peterson Road site (please see the map below for well drilling sites). One well is expected to be drilled at each of the four prospective well sites between June 30 and September 30, 2025.

The well drilling crew will move from PW05 to PW06, then PW07 and lastly PW08. Once the wells are drilled, the crew will move between each site to complete other drilling activities such as setting the well screens, and carrying out the pump tests, etc.

The well drilling is not expected to affect park users, however, for your safety and the safety of the work crew, please remain alert to work activities and obey any posted signs. While low levels of construction noise from the well drilling equipment can be expected, there will be no disruption to local traffic.

For more information, please contact:

Water Services, Regional District of Nanaimo

Ph. 250-248-4914

Email rcu@rdn.bc.ca

Date: May 9 - 16, 2025 (including the weekend)
Time: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Trail Closure: May 9 - 16, 2025 at Kaye River’s Edge Community Park

As part of the Well Drilling Project, site clearing will continue to take place at the four well drilling sites in River’s Edge, as identified on the site map below. The tree-falling work is complete, and the next step is to remove the tree stumps, clear the brush and level the soil at the well sites.

Brush-clearing at the sites of PW05, PW06 and PW08 will not affect park users, however, the park trail at site PW07 will be temporarily closed for five to seven days while stump removal is underway. The temporary park trail closure will be marked with signs at both entrances to the trail. As part of the well site preparation, the trail will be realigned temporarily near PW07 to ensure that park use may safely resume.

Brush-clearing and stump removal work is expected to begin on Monday, May 12, 2025, and will take place during daylight hours. Intermittent noise from a small excavator can be expected. No interruption to traffic flow on the roadway is expected. For your safety and the safety of the work crew, please remain alert to work activities and obey any posted signs.

A permit to construct water utilities in RDN park land is being reviewed by the RDN Board and RDN Parks Department. Once issued, the Parks Use Permit (PUP) will outline the requirements for site clearing and tree replacement. Site clearing is expected to take place from April to May 2025. Project updates will be made on this webpage at each project milestone. Please consider signing up for e-newsletter updates.

The petition to authorize funding for the River's Edge Water Quality Improvement Project under borrowing bylaw No. 1914 has received sufficient support from residents to move forward. This information was presented to the RDN Board at the October 22, 2024 Board meeting. To view the Board agenda and minutes, click on the date of the meeting at: rdn.bc.ca/agendas-minutes-videos.

Final approval from the BC Inspector of Municipalities and the RDN Board of Directors is now required for the borrowing bylaw to be officially adopted, at which point construction is expected to begin in 2025. The RDN appreciates all feedback and cooperation received from the residents of the River's Edge Water Service Area throughout the petition process.