Friday, December 04, 2015

Nanaimo Water Treatment Plant Now Online

NEWS RELEASE
Distributed December 4, 2015


New Water Treatment Plant averts turbidity event
Nanaimo residents now receiving filtered water


The City of Nanaimo's New Water Treatment plant is now operational.  This week's heavy rainfall combined with previous snow triggered rapid runoff in the South Fork watershed - the source of Nanaimo's drinking water - leading to a rise in turbidity, peaking at 8 NTU, well above the allowable 1 NTU maximum.  Working with Island Health, City staff secured an Interim Operating Permit allowing the turbid source water to be filtered through the new plant, thereby avoiding the need for a boil water advisory.

For the past several weeks, the Water Treatment Plant project team has been preparing the plant for operation.  Early in the week of November 30, the plant was ready to go online and only required laboratory confirmation of water potability to receive an Interim Operating Permit.  This requirement was met yesterday.

The new Water Treatment Plant is now on-line and producing high quality water. Turbidity leaving the plant is less than 0.1 NTU.

The new plant's ultrafiltration membranes are capable of filtering particles of one ten-millionth of a meter (0.1 micron) - this is smaller than many bacteria.


"This is a major milestone in protecting Nanaimo's drinking water for generations to come.  The City and entire project team is proud to have been able to prevent yesterday's weather-related water quality event from reaching the City.  From this day forward, Nanaimo can enjoy water that has been purified to a high degree.  And it tastes GRRReat!"  -  Bill Sims City of Nanaimo

allvoices

19 comments:

  1. This is major overkill. Take the $72M+, add the high maintenance costs, add the interest... Then divide it by the number of households to arrive at a rough cost per household.

    Now how much would it cost for the city to give a Brita filter to every house for life? OMG.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Why not have the city get that cheap water too from the ground that Nestle takes and ship it here. Now that's SAVING taxpayer's money!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Give it a rest ! Perfect expenditure. That's what tax dollars are for, infrastructure, for now and the future. If it were up to you cheap skates we would still have dirt roads, and wells.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a whacko!

      Move to as urban an area as you can find - money slurping trough feeder.

      Randy

      Delete
    2. Dear Spender of MY money,

      Since you believe $72-million is a good expenditure, I have some great land for you to buy WITH YOUR MONEY in the middle of a swamp.

      EXTREMELY POOR SPENDING OF TAX DOLLARS.

      Kev

      Delete
  4. From the city web page Q +A re: water system. Victoria changed the 'rules', and prior to the new filtration system our water was below standards.

    "the City's drinking water does not meet the current Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines or the Drinking Water Protection Act, due to most notably, turbidity during the winter time but also that there is no protection against pathogenic organisms such as Giardia or Cryptosporidium."

    So I say, good job !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since you believe the city "web" so much - wait until it says taxes are doubling to pay salaries! Soooo Gullible. And likely, either a city worker or feeder of the public trough living outside the city without paying Nanaimo taxes.

      Delete
    2. ps in spite of your vitriol, I hope you enjoy the water

      most of the planet would give anything for what we have.

      Delete
    3. Most of the planet would NOT give all the taxes we pay without a civil war - like we have seen in many, many countries. And those people would have overthrown by now the mayor and some of the council we have - that is for sure!

      Delete
  5. Nope I pay taxes , live in the city, and want to see it flourish.

    Can't see any reason why the city would lie about the condition of the water.
    Doesn't make a very good 'conspiracy' story at all :-)

    That's all you have ?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Heh Randy and Kev

    Cheer up, it'll be fine.
    Life will be over before you know it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're so true, With the awful spending of my tax dollars I don't have much of a life to have extra money to spend now.

      Randy

      Delete
    2. I hope this is not some macabre threat from a person who won't divulge their name and want to remain "anonymous."

      Kev

      Delete
  7. As I asked previously, costs are running almost $75M, I don't have the exact number but approximately 40,000 households. That is a hell of high cost per household.
    Does Duncan, Courtney, Campbell River have these hugely expensive facilities? Let's look across all of BC.

    I am not sure of the name of the person who agrees with the rampant spending, but explain why each household should pay for such an exorbitant amount. It would be much less expensive to give every household bottled water for free.

    ReplyDelete
  8. provincial and federal govts kicked in millions. the system will be used by hotels, hospitals, restaurants, businesses etc etc etc……in short, not just 'households'

    It is built for us now and for future growth, perhaps exponential growth, considering how great it is here.

    So this is insurance of a sort, and well worth it. We tend to be short sighted in this country when it comes to infrastructure. We never build stuff well, or long lasting. this is a great project, and I for one, will enjoy my water.

    ps no not threats :-) just telling Kev and Randy to not get so 'bent out of shape' about it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Whether it's city, RDN, provincial or federal gov't money being kicked in, it is still TAXPAYER MONEY!

    The $72 million filtration plant you so highly speak of uses solely General Electric filters which is bad for taxpayers as we must only use these specific filters and pay whatever the sole provider wants. There is no competition for the filters, they are extremely hard to work on, they are a maintenance nightmare - So it's a lose-lose for taxpayers.

    As you guzzle back your next glass of the clear stuff, every taxpayer should be choking on the excessive gold nuggets you've all had to pay to quench your thirst. A bias and poorly thought out project which could have been done cheaper and better.

    Randy

    ReplyDelete
  10. You have to wonder, because of the cost and extremity of this project, whether it is not a make-work project specified by the BC Health Ministry to help their fellow bureaucrats....like the BC Government stipulating after a century the Colliery Dams needed to be fixed-up or they'd bust.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How exactly does that 'help' bureaucrats ?
      I would think it is more a huge annoyance and a burden, considering the grief they get whenever they actually use our taxes for the common good.

      If they are as crooked and self serving as a lot of you seem to think, would it not make sense for them to stay low, and do nothing splashy.
      Or do you think they somehow benefit ?
      when you have finished explaining, go and get a refreshing drink from West wood lake. The water there is delicious, and 'safe'.

      Delete
    2. What's YOUR name???

      And, hello!, the more and bigger the city projects the bigger amounts of work and overtime and employees needed.

      As for the water - could've gone partners with Nestle and had bottled delivered to every home, apartment and condo for cheaper! (And for the bathtub) Not that anyone has died from all the turbidity BEFORE this $72 million wonder! (tax wonder!)

      Kev

      Delete

Your comment will appear after moderation before publishing,

Thank you for your comments.Any comment that could be considered slanderous or includes unacceptable language will be removed.

Thank you for participating and making your opinions known.

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.