Upgrading the Mica Creek Town Site

Project Highlights

BC Hydro’s installation of two 500 MW generating units into existing turbine bays at the Mica Generating Station north of Revelstoke, BC will make Mica one of the most powerful BC Hydro facilities with a total capacity of 2,800 MW.  The cost of the additional turbines is approximately $1 billion.

In anticipation of about 300 workers who will spend the next five years working at the dam, Kerr Wood Leidal Associates (KWL) was engaged to design upgrades to the water and sewer system at the Mica Creek Town Site.  The original Town Site was used during construction of Mica from 1965 to 1973.  In 1985, with construction of Revelstoke Dam, the 2,700-person camp was flooded by the Revelstoke Reservoir leaving some infrastructure for plant staff and temporary workers.

Servicing Upgrades

Incorporating the remaining infrastructure into the design of the services resulted in numerous challenges.  Other challenges included addressing environmental constraints, adverse soil conditions, site remoteness, and time constraints created by the late spring freshet and the early snowfall.

The considerable improvements to the town site include:

• Water supply and distribution piping
  • well head upgrades
  • dedicated supply main to reservoir
  • reservoir & control upgrades
  • water distribution system
• Sanitary sewer piping
  • new sewage pump stations and electrical kiosks
  • sanitary sewer collection system
  • septic tank rehabilitation
  • dispersal field assessment and upgrades
• Flow monitoring
• Contractor parking
• Drainage works

Beaton Street Contractors’ Camp

The contractors’ camp provides accommodation for approximately 350 workers and includes craft dorms, executive dorms and a core complex that contains lounges, a kitchen/dining area and a fitness centre.