The Wallaceburg Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) will be receiving $250,000 for the replacement of two Archimedes Screw pumps and controls.
Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission (PUC) officials say the Wallaceburg plant, which is located at 795 Gillard Street, had the sludge return pumps last upgraded in 1991, and will now be upgrading the Archimedes Screw return pumps to dry-pit centrifugal style pumps.
The engineering firm of Dillon Consulting has been retained to design the system improvements.
“As one of the Council reps on (the PUC) it is great to see projects such as this taking place in Wallaceburg,” stated Wallaceburg Coun. Jeff Wesley in a press release.
“The funding available keeps costs down and these improvements will have a very positive impact on not only the environment but future growth.”
This project is to upgrade sludge return pumps and controls to improve facility operations, PUC officials said.
The existing pumps are 26 years old and need replacing.
This project started in July 2017 and has an expected completion date of March 2018.
Tim Sunderland, General Manager of the PUC, said the PUC “is upgrading the pumps to improve operating efficiency and plant operations.”
Municipal officials say the current pumps have lost their electrical and mechanical efficiencies due to age, wear and environmental conditions.
Rather than the pumps being outside in the environment, the new dry-pit pumps will be placed in the basement of the plant, close to the return activated sludge process.
Included in the project are three new pumps, piping and flow meters, as well as other modifications to the plant to accommodate the new pumps, Municipal officials stated.
The 2016 federal budget established a Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF) for immediate improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure.
The federal government’s contribution is 50% of the eligible project costs, with the province contributing 25% and the remaining 25% to be met by the PUC.
This project is 1 of 12 such projects throughout the Municipality that fits the CWWF requirements.
Of the $9.2 million in total project costs, the federal/provincial contribution is $6.9 million.
For Chatham-Kent PUC CWWF project updates, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CKPUC.
