Since the opening of the new water reservoir in the north part of the city a year ago, the most noticeable positive from the new infrastructure has been the increased water pressure in the northern half of the city.
“The new reservoir allows us to split the city into two pressure zones. Now we can adjust the pressure upward in the higher elevations, the north side of town, without increasing the pressures in the valley, which was always our limiting factor before,” said Kevin Sutter, Estevan’s water treatment plant manager.
The pressure has been gradually increased, though it still isn’t up to where the design levels suggested the pressure could be set.
“Due to the infrastructure requirements, we’re holding it there,” noted Sutter, who said he felt it was pertinent information for the public to know.
“The policy we always worked off is the best industrial practice is to maintain a 40 PSI static pressure in all parts of the distribution system.”
The southern half of the system maintains a pressure of 52 PSI, while the northern half was averaging 47 PSI this past summer. The summer before saw PSI readings north of the railway tracks in the city hovering around an average of 42.
From a water distribution standpoint, Sutter wants to ensure the entire system meets that 40 PSI threshold.
“In the old system, it was getting to a point where we did not meet that and we definitely would not have met it on the new development heading north. That was what directed the construction of the facility in the first place.”
Sutter said averaging 47 PSI in the northern half of the city is probably the pressure everyone can expect in the future, at least until some of the infrastructure in the Pleasantdale area is upgraded.
“Once all the new lines are in, we’ll probably bump that up a little bit further yet,” added Sutter.
A report submitted by Sutter to city council noted the local facility treated 262 million litres of water in July, pumping 217 million litres into the distribution system throughout the month. Those figures fell in the month of August, where 237 million litres were treated and 198 million litres were pumped into the system.
In Sutter’s report, he noted the water analysis met all the requirements of the Water Security Agency, except for the THM levels, which the treatment plant has been dealing with for years.
Sutter said, “We have been trying to explore the possibility of removal of the THM’s by using aeration, but to date, this method has not proved useful with the city water.”
He forwarded a recommendation to the City to begin the process of obtaining an intake and pipeline from Rafferty reservoir, which is expected to resolve the water quality issue.
Repairs have been ongoing at the water treatment plant following a fire in the facility last year.
“They’re pulling out all of the switchgear, all the main switchgear that comes into the plant. They have to remove all that equipment,” said Sutter.
The treatment plant has continued to run on temporary services since the fire occurred last fall.
At the start of the month crews began moving equipment into the building and making all of the necessary connections.
There were delays in getting parts and overcoming insurance issues, and Sutter said that delayed the project for a “lengthy period of time.”
He added the contractor completing the new biosolids building is busy with construction and the last of the equipment is being delivered by the end of October. He said construction is well on its way now, though the building will only be used to house the equipment until next spring when everything will be installed and the building is expected to be brought online.
