The City of Delta has received major funding from the federal government to help pay for a pair of costly but critical infrastructure projects.
Delta MP Carla Qualtrough joined members of Delta council and staff, Tsawwassen First Nation Executive Council member Taylor Baker, members of the Delta Farmers’ Institute and others at the 12th Avenue Drainage Pump Station last Friday to announce $7.6 million in funding for the new 84th Street Drainage Pump Station and the Silda Drainage Pump Station.
“I try and talk a lot in Ottawa about the vital role that Delta plays in Canada’s economic game plan. But also, we are this first line of defence when it comes to climate change and when it comes to making sure that vital infrastructure like the port, like our highways is all protected. That’s our job but it’s disproportionate to the size of our community …we also need to recognize that it needs to be up kept and we need to continue to evolve our drainage. We need to continue to evolve our pump system to make sure that we can be ready,” said Qualtrough.
Mayor George Harvie said the new pump stations will play a crucial role in safeguarding Delta’s low-lying areas that face flooding due to rainfall events, strengthening infrastructure and ensuring the long-term sustainability for Delta’s industrial sector and agricultural community.
Noting severe weather from heavy rain and atmospheric rivers are becoming more frequent, Harvie said the funding allows Delta to address the risks head-on.
The city last year submitted grant applications to the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund program for the projects.
Qualifying municipal projects will receive 40 per cent federal cost share funding, with projects to be completed by 2032.
The 84th Street Drainage Pump Station is to address flooding concerns, including water ponding on roadways, railway tracks and agricultural lands. The station will manage stormwater, transporting it through a force main pipeline to the discharge point at the Boundary Bay dike.
The Silda Drainage Pump Station will reduce the risk of flooding around the Highway 91/17 interchange. It is to also address flooding concerns, including water ponding on roads, railway tracks and pedestrian trails, as well as impacts on local businesses in the low-lying catchment area.
The current system ensures drainage of the floodplain lands by conveying storm flows to the Fraser River or the sea.
