Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Project

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Plans for a significant—and much-needed—infrastructure upgrade are underway. Welcome to your source for updates and information as we move towards construction later in 2025. Sign up to receive the latest updates!

About the Project

The Departure Bay Forcemain was constructed in 1974 to convey wastewater from the Departure Bay Pump Station to the Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre. It carries wastewater from over half of the population in Nanaimo and is the largest of all forcemains operated by the RDN.

The forcemain and pump station need to be upgraded to accommodate current flows during severe storms and future growth.

To upgrade this infrastructure:

  • The Departure Bay Pump Station (next to Departure Bay Beach, near the intersection of Hammond Bay and Departure Bay roads) will undergo a major upgrade and;
  • A new forcemain will be installed along Hammond Bay Road from the pump station to the Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre (wastewater treatment facility) at McGuffie Road.

Current Status

The Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain (DBPF) Project is currently in the preliminary design stage. The RDN is working with the City of Nanaimo and the rest of the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) team, to complete the planning and preliminary design and create a safe and efficient construction plan.

Because the project is still in the design stage, there are many details to be confirmed including schedule, traffic plans, property impacts and related City of Nanaimo upgrades that may be incorporated.

Construction is currently estimated to begin in fall/late 2025.

Notices:

  • Geotechnical investigations are underway — commuters may notice activity at the roadside related to this.

Keeping you Informed

We understand this project will be disruptive and of high interest to many in the corridor and throughout the area. This page will be the primary source for updates and information will be shared proactively as details are confirmed.

We invite you to:

  • Subscribe to get the latest updates to your inbox
  • Ask the project team a question below
  • Visit our FAQs

Plans for a significant—and much-needed—infrastructure upgrade are underway. Welcome to your source for updates and information as we move towards construction later in 2025. Sign up to receive the latest updates!

About the Project

The Departure Bay Forcemain was constructed in 1974 to convey wastewater from the Departure Bay Pump Station to the Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre. It carries wastewater from over half of the population in Nanaimo and is the largest of all forcemains operated by the RDN.

The forcemain and pump station need to be upgraded to accommodate current flows during severe storms and future growth.

To upgrade this infrastructure:

  • The Departure Bay Pump Station (next to Departure Bay Beach, near the intersection of Hammond Bay and Departure Bay roads) will undergo a major upgrade and;
  • A new forcemain will be installed along Hammond Bay Road from the pump station to the Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre (wastewater treatment facility) at McGuffie Road.

Current Status

The Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain (DBPF) Project is currently in the preliminary design stage. The RDN is working with the City of Nanaimo and the rest of the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) team, to complete the planning and preliminary design and create a safe and efficient construction plan.

Because the project is still in the design stage, there are many details to be confirmed including schedule, traffic plans, property impacts and related City of Nanaimo upgrades that may be incorporated.

Construction is currently estimated to begin in fall/late 2025.

Notices:

  • Geotechnical investigations are underway — commuters may notice activity at the roadside related to this.

Keeping you Informed

We understand this project will be disruptive and of high interest to many in the corridor and throughout the area. This page will be the primary source for updates and information will be shared proactively as details are confirmed.

We invite you to:

  • Subscribe to get the latest updates to your inbox
  • Ask the project team a question below
  • Visit our FAQs

Questions? Ask them here

Have any questions about the Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Project? Share them here and the project team will get back to you!

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  • Share As the Hammond Bay corridor is a very busy narrow road from Departure Bay to McDuffie; I would like to know if the city would please include proper sidewalks and bike lanes with the water main upgrades? I live in the area and it is very unsafe to ride & walk in this area. We definitely like to improves for the area to become more pedestrian friendly. Thank you! on Facebook Share As the Hammond Bay corridor is a very busy narrow road from Departure Bay to McDuffie; I would like to know if the city would please include proper sidewalks and bike lanes with the water main upgrades? I live in the area and it is very unsafe to ride & walk in this area. We definitely like to improves for the area to become more pedestrian friendly. Thank you! on Twitter Share As the Hammond Bay corridor is a very busy narrow road from Departure Bay to McDuffie; I would like to know if the city would please include proper sidewalks and bike lanes with the water main upgrades? I live in the area and it is very unsafe to ride & walk in this area. We definitely like to improves for the area to become more pedestrian friendly. Thank you! on Linkedin Email As the Hammond Bay corridor is a very busy narrow road from Departure Bay to McDuffie; I would like to know if the city would please include proper sidewalks and bike lanes with the water main upgrades? I live in the area and it is very unsafe to ride & walk in this area. We definitely like to improves for the area to become more pedestrian friendly. Thank you! link

    As the Hammond Bay corridor is a very busy narrow road from Departure Bay to McDuffie; I would like to know if the city would please include proper sidewalks and bike lanes with the water main upgrades? I live in the area and it is very unsafe to ride & walk in this area. We definitely like to improves for the area to become more pedestrian friendly. Thank you!

    Bob & Gayle asked 2 months ago

    Hello Bob & Gayle – thank you for the question and feedback. The project is currently in the preliminary design stage. The City of Nanaimo may be looking at other potential improvements through the corridor as plans progress. We’ll work with the City of Nanaimo to share updates about plans as they’re developed. 

Page last updated: 05 Mar 2025, 12:13 PM