Marina Bryan

Over the past several years, the North Okanagan Wastewater Recovery Project has faced escalating construction costs. Wildfires and flooding, supply chain disruptions and inflation have impacted the cost of materials, labour and fuel.

Like many construction projects across British Columbia and Canada — big and small — the North Okanagan Wastewater Recovery Project has also been impacted by escalating construction costs.

The October 2021 Update introduced the IPD model. The interdisciplinary team comprised of engineers, biologists, project managers, communications and governance specialists, the contractor (Bird-Dawson Joint Venture) and the owner group (the RDNO, Township of Spallumcheen and Okanagan Indian Band), is now over half-way through the intensive IPD Validation Phase

The NOWRP project continues to move forward, despite the challenges presented in the last year. With the COVID-19 impacts on the supply chain, and wildfires that threatened many areas around the Okanagan, crews are still working hard behind the scenes.

The preliminary design of the collection system and wastewater recovery facility is complete. Over the next few months, further archaeological and environmental studies will be held, and the project design will be updated to reflect changes recommended
by a Value Engineering process.

Welcome to the first of many updates from the North Okanagan Wastewater Recovery Project Team. Over the next four years, North Okanagan residents and businesses in the Swan Lake area will be transitioning from a septic to a community water system that will have many positive environmental, economic and agricultural impacts for the area.