Yellowknife (Apr 20/05) - The City of Yellowknife is moving into the second phase of a pilot project at its water treatment plant.

Two systems are being tested, said Yellowknife City manager of Public Works, Dennis Kefalas.

A direct filtration system is already online while the other, a membrane system, will be running in a couple weeks.

"The project started about a year ago in January and we're hoping all our information and data will be in by late summer," he said.

The cost of the test is in the range of $350,000 to $400,000, which includes designs for a new water treatment plant, he said.

Altogether, the contracts going out from City Hall on water and sewer work are expected to be worth almost $3 million.

Construction is expected to start in June and end in mid-September.

The city is replacing the sewer and water lines along parts of School Draw Avenue, Gitzel Street and Hornel Road.

If the budget allows, work will also be done on Finlayson Drive between Vaydik and Hill Courts.

Paving contracts are expected to come in at $2.8 million to $3 million. The projects are expected to start in July and be completed by Sept. 15.

A paving upgrade is being planned for Old Airport Road from near the Co-op to Borden Drive.

Kefalas said the city is also planning to perform some paving upgrades at the entrance of the hospital, along Woolgar Avenue, Bigelow Crescent, Dusseault Court, Williams Avenue, and Range Lake Road into the new Homes North subdivision.

"We'll probably also end up doing one of the downtown lanes as part of the contract but at this time, I'm not sure which one," he said.

FSC Architects and Engineers is the consultant on the paving and road work while EarthTec Canada is acting as the consultant on the water and sewer contracts.

The city plans to begin designing its new landfill later this year.