Innovative Buswell Sanitary Pump Station
25 September 2007
Named Public Works’ Project of the Year
Richmond’s high water table and ongoing high-rise developments presented a number of challenges for the City of Richmond in the construction of the Buswell sanitary pump station. The City’s unique approach to building the pumping station to overcome these challenges, recently earned the City of Richmond the Project of the Year Award from the Public Works Association of British Columbia, as well as recognition from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists as one of the 2007 project highlights.
“The City of Richmond is committed to integrating sustainable practices in all areas of our organization,” says Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “These two recognitions show the innovation of our staff to ensure the City minimizes its impact on the environment whenever possible.”
The Buswell sanitary pump station, and associated gravity mains and forcemains, was constructed to meet the City Centre’s current and future needs. This $1.3 million project posed a number of challenges, including a compressed construction schedule as ongoing high-rise development required the station to be operational within seven months. Richmond’s high water table, along with challenging soil conditions, also proved difficult for excavating seven meters deep. To limit the impact on the surrounding areas, the contractor worked with the City to prepare engineering shoring and dewatering methods that would prevent settling of adjacent buildings during the excavation.
The Public Works Association of British Columbia named the sanitary pump station the Project of the Year because of its unique features and the complexity of the construction in relation to the resources of the community. The Buswell sanitary pump station was completed in April 2007.
