Robbins Readies TBMs for Capilano-Seymour Water Scheme in Vancouver Deployment of the first of two Robbins tunnel boring machines represents a significant step in construction of the Seymour-Capilano Water Filtration project in Vancouver. The first TBM cutter head was lowered into the twin tunnel's Seymour access shaft located in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve on 25th May, 2006.The pair of Robbins TBMs will cut through granite. Muehlhauser is the supplier of the mucking-out rolling stock. The actual start of tunnelling is scheduled for 19th June. The second TBM will be ready within the next two to three months. Click here. Visit www.robbinstbm.com and www.tunnelling-equipment.comOnce completely assembled underground, the machines and support infrastructure will create twin tunnels, approximately 7.1 km in length and 3.8 m in diameter, located in bedrock 160 to 640 metres below the surface. The tunnels will convey untreated water from the Capilano reservoir to the filtration plant in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, and return treated water to the Capilano source for distribution to member municipalities. The Seymour-Capilano filtration plant, which will filter up to 1.8 billion litres of water per day, will improve drinking water quality by removing turbidity and micro-organisms, and by reducing the amount of chlorine required for disinfection. After filtering, water will be treated with ultraviolet light and chlorine, ph adjusted, temporarily stored in the plant's clearwells, and then delivered to the distribution system. The Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), the owner, will also generate electricity from a recovery process that uses the energy of treated water flowing through the tunnel from the filtration plant site back to the Capilano system. View aerial alignment and longitudinal profile here.The builders of the tunnels and shafts are Bilfinger Berger and its affiliate Fru-Con. It is anticipated that construction of the filtration plant itself will be completed and water from the Seymour source filtered beginning in 2008. The tunnels are to be completed and Capilano water filtered beginning in 2009. Click ca/25. Visit www.gvrd.bc.ca, www.bilfinger.de and www.frucon.com 25/06.