Crews are underway building the new outfall at Willows Beach – a project district staff say is on track for completion by the end of the summer.
In the first week of July, workers began to amass equipment and supplies needed to build the outfall along the Esplenade walkway, including piping, concrete slabs and an excavator. Now, equipment occupies space on the beach itself.
“The construction on Willows Beach is for the actual outfall,” said Oak Bay's communications coordinator Matt Williams. "Construction ... will involve excavators digging a trench, where mats will be placed for the concrete outfall pipes."
Designed to discharge water from the district's storm drains into the Salish Sea, the outfall will be buried on the beach for roughly 25 metres, with the end visible at low tides.
Most planned construction will continue to take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., during which time beachgoers will be detoured to the Esplanade walkway. Outside of working hours, fencing and signage will ensure those visiting Willows Beach keep a safe distance from the construction site.
“We know that Willows Beach is a popular gathering spot throughout the year,” Steve Rennick, Oak Bay’s director of engineering and public works, said in a news release. “We thank the community for their understanding as crews complete this essential work.”
This work is part of the first phase of the Estevan Utilities Project, which will see 125 metres of water main, 215 metres of sanitary sewer and 657 metres of storm main replaced in Oak Bay – work Rennick explained will replace the area’s “undersized” storm system.
“This work will ensure that the storm mains can handle existing flows as well as future growth anticipated for Oak Bay,” he added in the same news release.
