The City of Cranbrook is moving ahead with a grant funding application for up to $7 million through the Strategic Priorities Fund – Capital Infrastructure Stream to help construct the Phillips Reservoir Bypass Pipeline.

Council gave its approval to administration’s request to apply for the grant Monday night (Sept. 8).

The pipeline bypass is a high priority project for the city in order to ensure reliable and sustainable water is provided to the residents of Cranbrook.

The bypass pipeline would allow operations to feed users with water directly from the Gold Creek Dam bypassing the Phillips Reservoir, creating system redundancy in the event of an emergency, while increasing capacity for growth and create climate resiliency within the water system.

“The Phillips Reservoir Bypass Pipeline is a critical piece of infrastructure for Cranbrook,” said Mayor Wayne Price. “By going after this grant, we are working to strengthen our community’s water supply, while taking advantage of other funding sources to reduce the financial impact on our local taxpayers. This is something our staff know about and work very hard to both find and apply for these grants.”

The Strategic Priorities Fund supports large-scale local government infrastructure projects that enhance productivity, support a clean environment, and build stronger communities. The program can fund up to 100% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $7 million. Applications are open until September 12.

Based on the design work completed so far, and with the support of consultant Urban Systems and contractor Kiewit, staff are confident the project can be completed within the $7 million funding cap. As required in the grant submission, council also committed that any cost overruns would be managed through the city’s Annual Capital Works Program.

Earlier this summer, council approved additional funding to advance the detailed design and planning for the project.

City of Cranbrook stock photo

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