Cobourg, ON (October 9, 2024) –The Town of Cobourg and Lakefront Utility Services Inc. (LUSI) are excited to announce the completion of a construction milestone at the new Elevated Tank and Booster Pumping station at 700 D’Arcy Street.

Construction began on the Elevated Tank and Booster Pumping Station in September 2023 with a target completion date of August 2025. Significant progress has been made, with the foundation, support structure, and steel tank bowl now complete. Crews are preparing to hoist the tank, which will have the capacity to store approximately 5,000 cubic meters of drinking water onto the concrete support pedestal. The elevated tank and booster pumping station is a first-of-its-kind technology in Canada, incorporating a booster pumping station within the pedestal. This innovation significantly reduces not only the footprint and cost of construction but also ongoing operational costs.

Community Invited to Watch the Tank Lift
The Town of Cobourg and LUSI would like to invite the community to see history in the making by watching the hoisting of the tank.The timing of the lift depends on wind speed; however, the lift will start between 9:00 a.m. and noon on Thursday, October 10th and will take approximately four to five hours to complete. The Town of Cobourg has sectioned off the Lions Fields’ soccer pitch for safe viewing. Community members are invited to set up a chair, enjoy a coffee and watch the show. The hoist is weather-dependent, as even moderate wind will postpone the event. 

About the Elevated Tank and Booster Pumping Station Project
In May 2022, Lakefront Utility Services Inc. initiated a Study to address capacity limitations in the Town of Cobourg’s drinking water system. The goal of the study was to identify the preferred location for a new Elevated Tank and Booster Pumping Station. The need for this project was documented in the Town of Cobourg’s Drinking Water System Master Plan, completed in 2021.

Various potential locations were identified for the new Elevated Tank and Booster Pump Station. Each location was evaluated based on its impact on the natural environment, social/cultural impacts, technical merits and financial cost. The preferred site was identified as 700 D’Arcy Street, southeast of the Cobourg Community Centre.

The Cobourg Drinking Water System (DWS) is owned by the Town of Cobourg and operated by Lakefront Utility Services Inc. The Cobourg DWS draws its water from Lake Ontario, supplying drinking water to the Town of Cobourg and some areas of Hamilton Township. As identified in the Cobourg DWS Master Plan completed in 2021, a solution was required to address storage capacity constraints in Zone 1 of the Town of Cobourg’s distribution system and pumping capacity limitations in Zone 2. The critical new infrastructure will add to the reliability and safety of Cobourg’s existing water distribution system for generations and support continued growth and new development in the community.

Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program
This project has received over $3.6 million combined from both the federal Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s (ICIP) Green Infrastructure Stream. The program provides long-term, stable funding delivered by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada to help communities reduce air and water pollution, provide clean water, increase resilience to climate change and create a clean-growth economy; build strong, dynamic, and inclusive communities; and ensure Canadian families have access to modern, reliable services that improve their quality of life.