What’s going at Rivera Park? $8 million pumping station needed for future development

One of Lindsay’s signature parks, Rivera, may look all torn up but most of it is completely open to the public.

(Not that there’s a lot of jungle gym activity in Lindsay in mid-January.)

The reason for the activity on the south side of the park is a new, $8 million pumping station. It’s being built to increase capacity which will accommodate future development within the local sanitary service area.

Juan Rojas, director of engineering and corporate assets for the City of Kawartha Lakes, says that means the south parking lot for Rivera Park and the park area south of Sinister Creek on the east side of the Scugog River are closed for the duration of construction.

However, the park equipment, restrooms and the boat launch north of the creek will all be open and available this spring and summer, even while construction continues.

Rojas says most of the water projects he has been involved with in the City cost closer to $1 million, but this is “a significant job.”

An environmental assessment in 2016 identified the need for the sanitary pumping station, which was based on the growth capacity in this catchment area, most of which is in south-central Lindsay.

“In order to develop and intensify in this area, the new station was needed,” he says.

Workers had to bore into solid bedrock beneath the river, which was completed about two and a half weeks ago. This inevitably created vibrations, says Rojas, but residents were understanding.

The sanitary sewer river crossing was accomplished by “micro-tunnelling,” a drill attached to a fully automated rail system.

The drilling began on the west side of the river and is now on the east side of the river, about 30 metres past the water’s edge.

The project should be completed by November of this year.