Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Project
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.
In order 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 General Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre (wastewater treatment facility) at McGuffie Road.
Current Status
The 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 City of Nanaimo. This page will be the primary source for updates and information will be shared proactively as details are confirmed.
We invite you to:
- Come back and check for updates
- Sign up to get the latest updates to your inbox
- Post questions/comments for the project team
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!
