The District of 100 Mile House is zeroing in on a series of upgrades to the wastewater treatment facility following a review conducted by True Consulting.
Council endorsed an application for funding from the Investing in Canadian Infrastructure grant program to alleviate the estimated $1,250,760 in project costs. The review suggests upgrades to the main lift station, the blower building and sludge removal.
“One of the major issues identified was the sludge build-up in the lagoons,” the review read. “The volume of sludge in the lagoons is impacting efficiency and it’s current useful life.”
According to Todd Conway, director of community services, the overall project will consist of removing the sludge, cleaning its aeration system and adding a 24-hour reservoir to the main lift station.
“It’s a labour-intensive process,” said Conway. “All of the sludge has to be removed, as well as the growth around the lagoon. The sludge is taken to a level-spot and put into bags to dry. Once a certain content of the moisture has come out, it gets trucked away.”
The current water system in 100 Mile serves a population of approximately 1,980, according to 2016 census data.
According to a water consumption report, the District has seen its lowest consumption since 2008 with a 12 per cent decrease from 2016 to 2019.
“I believe a lot of that decrease is attributed to a more efficient treatment process,” said Dave Underwood, a project engineer for True Consulting.
In 2018, the old treatment plant was decommissioned and the system now includes three production wells, a manganese reduction water treatment plant, three reservoirs and a distribution system.
If successful the District is expected to contribute $500,000.
