PITT MEADOWS, BC – The City of Pitt Meadows has received $729,740 in funding to replace the Fenton Pump Station as part of the Province’s Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF).
“The Fenton Pump Station is a critical piece of our flood mitigation infrastructure,” says Mayor Bill Dingwall. “With approximately 86 percent of Pitt Meadows falling within the Fraser River and Pitt River floodplains, enhancing flood protection is a high-priority for our Council.”
This grant will provide the opportunity to replace the Fenton Road pump and back-up generator including rebuilding the motor centre, switchgear and power upgrades, installation of new tubes and pumps, as well as a back-up generator for the Baynes Road pump.
The two existing pumps at the Fenton Station are at the end of their service life and are the only pumps which service the surrounding dike system. Work on this project will begin in the coming months and is expected to be completed by January 2022.
Work has already begun on adding back-up generators to three additional pump stations as part of a previous grant at Kennedy Road, McKechnie Road and Area 1 and will be completed later this summer.
“Without these back-up generators our pumps would have no way to prevent significant flooding should a catastrophic event occur,” says Barbara Morgan, Emergency Program Coordinator. “In addition, we are increasing our capacity as a City to respond to a potential emergency by investing in our Emergency Operations Centre, Emergency Support Services program, enhancing our existing Evacuation and Emergency Management plans and conducting public preparedness and staff emergency management training.”
The CEPF is intended to enhance the resiliency of local governments and their residents and reduce the risk from hazards such as flooding. Funding is provided by the Province of BC and is administered by the Union of BC Municipalities.
Pitt Meadows was among 18 communities approved to receive their share of approximately $12 million in provincial emergency preparedness funding to support structural flood mitigation projects. Read the full Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General announcement here.
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For more information please contact:
Carolyn Baldridge,
Manager of Communications & Community Engagement
City of Pitt Meadows
cbaldridge@pittmeadows.ca