Update on St. Thomas Line Pump Station

The Town of Paradise today provided an update on the new St. Thomas Line Pump Station which is replacing Lift Station 10. Construction started in January 2023, the project remains on budget, and it is expected to be fully commissioned by late summer. 

“Essential services like water and sewer are critical to our Town, and replacing Lift Station 10 is a key investment to provide these services for residents,” said Mayor Dan Bobbett. “The St. Thomas Line Pump Station is a significant investment for our Town, and one of the largest infrastructure projects we’ve undertaken in over a decade.” 

When construction started two years ago, the expected commissioning date was winter 2025. As the work progressed, during the course of the project, several factors impacted the timeline. “A project of this size and scope will always have adjustments to the timeline. The goal of the project team is to conduct regular reviews with the consultants and contractors to mitigate and minimize, as much as possible, any schedule changes and that is exactly what our team has been doing,” explained Mayor Bobbett. 

The Mayor also assured residents that the current Lift Station 10, on the corner of St. Thomas Line and Topsail Road, is stable and the situation is being monitored closely. As part of the work completed on the station last fall when there was an equipment failure, a by-pass was installed and that remains on site. In the event there are any issues with Lift Station 10, the by-pass will be put into operation and thereby maintain service. 

The $24 million project is cost-shared with the Federal and Provincial Governments. The Town is borrowing $8 million for its portion of the project. The capital borrowing was approved at the February 4, 2025, Public Council Meeting. 

The new St. Thomas Line Pump Station is designed for a 50-year life span and will meet the current and future needs of the Town. It also has system redundancies that will allow it to continue to operate in the event of equipment issues making it a dependable and reliable operation to provide an essential service to a significant number of households in Paradise.