Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant

For the latest construction schedule and updates, visit OurWK.ca/watermains.

Fall 2022

Construction of the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant (RVWTP) is well underway. This momentum continues as we work to construct a new water treatment plant that will eliminate the need for turbidity-related water quality advisories. Sections of the roof are now complete and crews will continue ongoing electrical and mechanical work.

The last and final phase of construction of the plant requires the installation of critical water transmission main infrastructure in the Sunnyside and West Kelowna Estates neighbourhoods.

Transmission main construction is underway and is anticipated to be complete in 2023.

Crews will install 3.7 kilometres of underground water mains in two sections:

Sunnyside: On Menu Road through Ourtoland and Ogden Roads to the Ogden-Boucherie intersection.
West Kelowna Estates: On Westlake Road from the Starlight Crescent intersection through Parkinson Road.

To shorten the overall construction schedule, both sections of transmission mains will be installed at the same time.

To learn more about construction, visit OurWK.ca/watermains.

Photo Gallery: RVWTP November 2022 Update will appear here on the public site.

August 2022

The City has initiated the last and final phase of the RVWTP to construct water transmission mains. When operational in 2023, the plant will deliver safe, clean drinking water to 18,000 residents with room to grow.

The $10-million contract was awarded to local company, Bluepoint Construction Ltd., to construct 3.7 kilometres of transmission mains to connect residents on the West Kelowna Estates and Sunnyside/Pritchard water systems to the new Rose Valley Water Service Area. In efforts to create additional efficiencies and minimize the impacts on the community, construction is also being coordinated with active transportation upgrades on Westlake and Parkinson Roads, from West Kelowna Road to Pettman Road and with drainage improvements on Rosewood Drive. Read the full news release for more details.

Construction to install the transmission mains is anticipated to begin later this summer. Learn more about the construction.

June 2022

Recently, we shared an updated schedule for construction of the plant and reservoir, which is anticipated to be complete in spring 2023. We recognize the urgency of completing this project and we are working diligently with our contractor to deliver clean drinking water to our community as quickly as possible. For more information, read the full Council Report or watch the Council Meeting webcast from June 28.

To receive Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant information directly to your inbox, subscribe for project updates.

Construction progress

The Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant is the single largest construction project the City of West Kelowna has undertaken. We’ve made significant progress on the up to $75 million project since construction began in 2020. This momentum continues in 2022 as we work to construct a new water treatment plant that will be able to deliver 70 million litres of treated water per day with room to expand.

This multi-year project consists of four project phases: design, earthworks, treatment plant and reservoir construction, and transmission mains construction.

The design and earthworks phases are complete.
Crews are midway through construction of the water treatment plant and treated water reservoir.
Construction of the transmission mains phase of the project is anticipated to begin this summer.

*Timeline is estimated and subject to change as each phase of the project proceeds.

Transmission Mains Construction

The next stage of construction for the RVWTP is scheduled to begin this summer. Crews will install 3.7 kilometers of water mains in the Rose Valley, Sunnyside and West Kelowna Estates neighbourhoods.

As the City continues its commitment to deliver clean drinking water to the community, crews will begin installing water mains in two sections:

Sunnyside: On Menu Road through Ourtoland and Ogden Roads to the Ogden Boucherie intersection.
West Kelowna Estates: On Westlake Road, starting at the Starlight Crescent intersection, through Parkinson Road.

Once complete, the mains will connect residents on the West Kelowna Estates and Sunnyside/Pritchard water systems to the new plant. More information will be shared with the community prior to the start of construction.

Learn more about the construction

About the project

The City of West Kelowna originally planned to start design of RVWTP in 2021 with construction to start in 2022, subject to funding availability. In March 2017, a federal and provincial grant of $41 million was awarded to the City to advance this project.

Once the project is complete, the plant will provide clean drinking water to approximately 18,000 residents living within the Lakeview, Pritchard/Sunnyside and West Kelowna Estates Water Systems.

Contract Award: August 2022

In August 2022, we initiated the last and final phase of the RVWTP to construct water transmission mains by awarding the $10-million contract to local company, Bluepoint Construction Ltd. As part of the project, crews will construct 3.7 kilometres of water transmission mains to connect residents on the West Kelowna Estates and Sunnyside/Pritchard water systems to the new Rose Valley Water Service Area.

In efforts to create additional efficiencies and minimize the impacts on the community, construction is also being coordinated with active transportation upgrades on Westlake and Parkinson Roads, from West Kelowna Road to Pettman Road and with drainage improvements on Rosewood Drive.

Read the full news release for more details.

Contract Award: March 2021

In March 2021, the City of West Kelowna awarded the General Contractor contract to Maple Reinders for the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant. The $45.1 million contract to Maple Reinders is within the project budget and will benefit the West Kelowna community through their proven infrastructure expertise locally and the Okanagan region.

Site and civil construction began in spring 2020. Read the full news release for more details.

Construction

With the land for the new plant secured in March 2019, the City began full, detailed design of the plant.

Site clearing began in September 2019, followed by groundwork and then construction.
Plant construction began in spring 2020 and is scheduled to be complete in 2023.

Costs

The Government of Canada will contribute $24.7 million and the Province of British Columbia will provide $16.3 million.

The City of West Kelowna will contribute the remaining funds through a combination of sources, including water rate increases, water reserves and borrowing.

Location

In March 2019, the City of West Kelowna confirmed purchase of a 24-acre portion of 2010 Bartley Road, at a cost of $915,000, for the purpose of building the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant. Mayor Milsom and members of Council made the announcement publicly on March 25, 2019 at an official sign unveiling near the site.

The City had applied in fall 2017 to obtain rights to use Crown land immediately north of Rose Ridge Park and approximately 1.5 kilometres south of the existing chlorine-only water treatment facility, built in 1977.

On March 26, 2019, Council withdrew its application to the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development for tenure on the parcel of the Crown land, located adjacent to District Lots 503, 2685 and 2188, Osoyoos Division Yale Land District.

Since the application process was still ongoing after nearly 18-months, the City had chosen instead to make the nearby property purchase at 2010 Bartley Road, in order to meet its grant obligations. Crown land tenure was therefore no longer required.

Background

An unprecedented algae bloom in the Rose Valley Reservoir led to a 14-week water quality advisory in summer and fall of 2016. As a result, the construction timeline for the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant was advanced.
The federal and provincial governments launched the Clean Water and Waste Water Fund in British Columbia in September 2016, giving the City of West Kelowna the opportunity to apply under the program in the hopes of advancing construction timelines.
In March 2017, a federal and provincial grant of $41 million was awarded under the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund.
The Lakeview System gets its water from Rose Valley Reservoir. The Pritchard/Sunnyside and West Kelowna Estates Systems receives water from Okanagan Lake and must be pumped up to houses.
The chlorine only facilities that serve the Lakeview, Pritchard/Sunnyside and West Kelowna Estates Systems were built in the 1970s and do not meet modern, federal and provincial drinking water requirements.

Future Rose Valley Water Service Area

View the map to determine if you are located within the Local Area Service (LAS) that will be serviced by the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant.

For questions about the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant, please contact the numbers below:

Project/construction updates

Engineering: 778-797-8840

Legislative process

Legislative Services: 778-797-2250

Water bill or taxes

Finance: 778-797-8850

We're committed to keeping residents informed on progress of the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant.

For more information, see the following project updates:

August 11, 2022: Contract awarded for the final phase of construction for the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant
June 28, 2022: Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant Update Report to Council
May 28, 2021: Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant Project Phases At-A-Glance
March 9, 2021: Major Project Milestone Reached in Construction of West Kelowna's Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant
October 14, 2020: Council adopts local area service and long-term borrowing bylaws for Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant
October 2, 2020: Unofficial results indicate long-term borrowing is preferred for Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant
September 16, 2020: Subject to Petition Against process for Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant reaches mid-way point
February 7, 2020: City invites bidders for Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant civil works
RVWTP at-a-glance information sheet: Details on project timeline and cost.

As part of our commitment to serve you and keep you informed on this project, we have released multiple video communications with residents in recent months.

These past videos can be found below:

June 28, 2021: Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant fly over - June 2022
June 28, 2022: Construction progress on Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant
July 28, 2021: Director of Engineering Allen Fillion provides an update on construction
September 3, 2020: Director Engineering Allen Fillion updates residents on the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant
September 2, 2020: The Council Initiative - Subject to Petition Against mailer for future Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant users explained
July 28, 2020: Chief Administrative Officer Paul Gipps updates residents on the Council Initiative - Subject to Petition Against for future Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant users
July 22, 2020: Director of Engineering & Public Works Allen Fillion updates residents on the design and construction of the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant which is underway now
July 15, 2020: Mayor Milsom updates residents on the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant