Final phases of Newcastle Water System Upgrade Project set to begin in July 2024

Phases 7 to 9 of the Newcastle Water System Upgrades will be completed over the next few months.

Over $3.5 million will be spent to complete three phases of the Newcastle Water System Upgrade project this year.
Following the approval by Miramichi City Council to award the tender for Phases 8 and 9 to North Shore Construction at a Special Council Meeting on April 30th, Enginnering Director Darren Row and Public Works Director Jay Shanahan provided an update on the planned work.
This work, set to begin in late July, will be concentrated on Newcastle Boulevard from the CN railway to the reservoir. The area has three water lines and two will be decommissioned and one will be repurposed. Valves that are shut off in some areas will be reconnected and there will be an upgrade to the sanitary sewer that is in bad condition.
The reservoir across from the Estey’s Fish and Chips location will be decommissioned, and the new recently built larger reservoir, part of Phase 7, will be in place to provide better service to the community.
While part of the water system in the area was put in place in the 1990s, the rest was installed in the early 1900s, specifically the reservoir scheduled to be decommissioned.
At present, water is pumped from the water treatment plant to the water tower, down Whalen Street to Dalton Avenue, across King George Highway and back up to the reservoir to get it full. This structure, with a 25,000 gallon capacity has outlived its lifespan and more capacity is needed for the system.
As part of Phase 7, a new main feed line will be drilled under Sweeney Lane from the new reservoir tank on Hansen Road which has a capacity of 750,000 gallons. With the improvements, water flows will be consistent and water quality will be improved due to a number of factors.
The Phase 7 work will be completed before the work in Phases 8 and 9 will commence.

When it does begin, the traffic will be restricted to the northbound lane lane and traffic in the southbound lane will detoured around the Hansen Road. There will be a full closure for a few days of Newcastle Boulevard when work at the intersection of Gladstone Avenue and Newcastle Boulevard has to be completed.
Affected residents and businesses will be on a temporary water system during the project. They will be notified two to three weeks before the project is set to begin by a hand-delivered letter.
During the project, updates and notices will be shared on the City’s website, social media channels and through local radio stations and other media outlets.
Anyone that will be affected by having their water shut off for a short period of time will be notified.
If any major water disruptions occur, notification will be done on the City’s website, social media channels and through local radio stations and other media outlets.
“We will be monitoring the situation very closely and monitoring any issues and concerns. We will be trying to minimize the impact to the public,” Shanahan said.
To date, over $2 million has been spent on the multi-year upgrades. Row said these three phases complete the bulk of the work.
“This is the bulk [of work] that’s really going to improve the system and we’re really happy with this,” he added.
For more details, see the video from the April 30th meeting. The update starts at the 50 minute mark.