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Construction is underway to replace a critical part of London’s water system – a large reservoir officials say will ease the fallout of any unexpected disruptions to the local supply such as the ongoing troubles in Calgary.
As that Alberta city copes with a pipeline break that cut its water supply by 40 per cent and forced citywide rationing, London officials are overseeing construction of a huge, new west-end reservoir that’ll help ensure that as the city grows, residents will have two days worth of tap water in case of emergency.
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“These reservoirs help ensure we have water for the city for 48 hours at normal usage levels” if the local supply from Lake Huron and Lake Erie was disrupted, said city hall water boss Ashley Rammeloo. “So they’re critical in the event of an emergency and making sure that we continue to have drinking water.”
The project, in the works since 2019, started after an assessment called for the reservoir to be replaced due to its aging condition and the need to increase capacity. The new one is nearly twice the size of the now-demolished reservoir, and will hold 88 million litres of drinking water, equivalent to 35 Olympic swimming pools, and cover an area about the size of two soccer fields.
The now-demolished reservoir, built in the 1920s, is one of five in London, and one of three located at Reservoir Hill on Commissioners Road West near west-end Byron. It came to the end of its “useful life,” Rammeloo said, adding the project will cost city taxpayers $48 million.
The work won’t affect nearby residential streets, but there is likely to be increased construction traffic on Commissioners Road near Springbank Drive. “We’re really excited to have this work underway,” Rammeloo said.
The so-called Reservoir 2 replacement project is expected to finish in spring 2026.
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