Negotiated RFP paves way for new, elevated water tank in Fort Erie

A new, 56.7 metre tall elevated water tank is the newest addition to the Fort Erie skyline. Niagara Region Water and Wastewater Services recently erected the state-of-the-art infrastructure to replace existing water storage facilities and increase service to residents and businesses. The new, 9,250-metric-tonne tank, located at 1886 Pettit Rd., aims to provide better and [...] The post Negotiated RFP paves way for new, elevated water tank in Fort Erie appeared first on constructconnect.com .

A new, 56.7 metre tall elevated water tank is the newest addition to the Fort Erie skyline. Niagara Region Water and Wastewater Services recently erected the state-of-the-art infrastructure to replace existing water storage facilities and increase service to residents and businesses. The new, 9,250-metric-tonne tank, located at 1886 Pettit Rd., aims to provide better and more consistent water pressure to Fort Erie for the next 75 to 100-years.

Its purpose is to store treated drinking water and use gravity to provide reliable water pressure to homes, businesses and fire protection systems. The additional storage capacity will help meet future growth in the region and maintain service reliability. At an approximate cost of $20 million, the Fort Erie Elevated Tank project was procured through a negotiated request for proposals process in accordance with Niagara Region’s procurement policy.

Under this approach, qualified proponents submitted technical and financial proposals, which were evaluated against the criteria set out in the RFP. Following the evaluation, the region entered negotiations with the highest-ranked proponent, “Landmark Structures to finalize the agreement and deliver the best overall value while meeting the project’s technical, schedule and commercial requirements,” said Sahil Kakkar, senior project manager with water/wastewater engineering, Niagara Regin. The need for a new tank was the result of a Region-initiated Class Environmental Assessment for a new Fort Erie Elevated Water Tank and Watermain upgrades.

The assessment reviewed the existing water system and evaluated suitable sites within Fort Erie and necessary improvements to the existing water system. Once Niagara Region updated the Water and Wastewater Master Servicing Plan, a new elevated water storage tank was part of the recommended improvements to the Fort Erie water distribution system. The new tank will: - Replace Fort Erie’s existing water storage systems, which are approaching the end of their service life.

- Improve current pumping operations and allow for more efficient pumping strategy. - Reduce long-term lifecycle costs. - Simplify and optimize system operations through consolidation of multiple facilities.

- Provide capacity to the Fort Erie water system required to support projected growth in the area. “Our Water and Wastewater Servicing Plan played a crucial role in helping us best determine where the new tank should be located to ensure we are servicing the community in the most efficient and effective way. We are currently updating this master servicing plan, which will continue to help us guide where new infrastructure should be implemented to deliver modern infrastructure that supports our ability to provide reliable water and wastewater services in Niagara region for years to come,” said Phil Lambert, director, water and wastewater services, Niagara Region.

The existing Central Avenue Elevated Tank that was built in 1966 is expected to be decommissioned in 2028. Planning and design for its demolition, including how materials will be recycled or disposed of, is scheduled to begin in early 2028. Niagara Region operates six water treatment plants and 38 water reservoirs/elevated tanks across 11 municipalities.