The D’Arcy Street Elevated Tank and Booster Pumping Station Project located in Cobourg, Ontario was completed for LUSI on behalf of the Town of Cobourg. Its primary objective was to address storage and pumping capacity deficiencies within the municipal drinking water system and to support future population growth.
The project involved the construction of a new 5,000 m³ composite elevated water storage tank integrated with a booster pumping station within a single, multi-purpose structure. This innovative configuration optimized land use, reduced the facility’s footprint and will improve its long-term operational efficiency. The project also included associated trunk watermain extensions to connect the facility to the supply system and to the Zone 2 distribution network, enabling expansion into the growing Cobourg East Secondary Plan area.
CIMA+ served as the primary consultant and played a central role in planning, design and project coordination. The firm led the Water System Master Plan, the environmental assessment process, and developed the preferred design that balanced technical, environmental and economic considerations. During implementation, CIMA+ collaborated closely with the client and contractor to ensure the design intent was maintained, risks were managed and project objectives were achieved.
Cost-effective, from the ground up
This project exemplifies navigating complex urban constraints without resorting to costly land acquisition or major system rerouting. Identifying a suitable location for the elevated tank and booster station at 700 D’Arcy Street involved evaluating land use, soil conditions, environmental sensitivity and utility impacts.
Operational resilience by design
Provisions were included in the design to provide LUSI with the flexibility to operate the booster pumping station while the tank is offline, or to bypass it in order to facilitate future maintenance.
The design can also accommodate future installation of telecommunications infrastructure without impacting the structure or the coating system. Security measures were implemented to ensure there would be no unauthorized access to the drinking water system by third parties accessing this facility.
Rigorous inspection for long-term durability
Third-party specialist inspection agencies were retained to complete detailed inspections of the welds for the steel tank, as well as for the steel preparation and coating applications. By ensuring the contractor’s strict adherence to the specifications, the coating system is expected to provide a minimum 20-year service life. With regular maintenance of the coating system on a twenty- to twenty-five-year cycle, the elevated tank facility should provide LUSI with a service life of more than 100 years.
An award-winning project
The D’Arcy Street Elevated Tank and Booster Pumping Station won a 2026 Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA) Project of the Year Award in the Small Communities category.