The city is moving closer to using wells for the community's water supply.

Council will vote this evening on whether to award the contract for a water main connecting two wells in Riverdale to Skookum Asphalt.

The city is planning to eventually run the entire water system from well water.

Currently, two new wells are being drilled in the neighbourhood with the latest contract in the project being the water main to connect the two to be treated and used with the existing system.

Skookum and Castle Rock Enterprises were the only two companies to bid on the project, with Skookum coming in with the lowest bid at $787,415 compared to Castle Rock's more than $1-million bid.

Skookum's bid is still $71,790 more than the original estimate of $715,625.

As it was noted in the administrative report to council, though:

"Staff found the submitted tender unit prices were reasonable given the type and size of work, increased labour costs and the recent significant increases in the cost of oil."

There's enough money in the budget to cover the costs and if the contract's not awarded, it would mean the wells wouldn't become part of the city's water system.

Delaying them would likely mean even higher construction costs, it's noted.