Province Announces $65 Million Investment to Help Replace Prince Rupert’s Aging Water Distribution Infrastructure

Prince Rupert’s century-old water distribution infrastructure has drawn headlines lately for all the wrong reasons, but help is finally on the way.

Premier David Eby was in Prince Rupert today to announce a $65 million investment which will help the City replace crucial sections of the failing water system.

A series of watermain breaks in December forced the City to declare a week-long local state of emergency as crews repaired the pipes.

That prompted politicians from all levels of government to issue calls for Federal aid, out of fear of a complete system failure.

But instead, it’s the Province stepping up, providing its largest ever single investment in to Prince Rupert.

Mayor Herb Pond says the funding will fully cover the first phase of their improvement project, which will mostly focus on the replacement of aging pipes.

Water and wastewater infrastructure accounts for roughly 57 percent of the City’s $600 million infrastructure deficit.