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Water plant ready next week 'Single biggest undertaking' for municipality

The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.

The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.

'There's a million gallons of water underneath us right now,' says Rick Bacon as he jaunts across a smooth concrete floor. But it's not the unseen water below that attracts his attention. With Flin Flon's new water treatment plant just days away from launching, Bacon is eager to showcase the above-ground workings of this massive facility. 'This is the single biggest undertaking by the Works and Operations department that the city has ever encountered,' says Bacon, who as director of that department knows this building inside and out. 'The size and scope of the project are unprecedented in Flin Flon's history.' Situated near the Aqua Centre by Ross Creek, the water treatment plant is due to begin pumping water into Flin Flon homes this Tuesday, Aug. 20. On Tuesday, if all goes well, the plant will start feeding homes in the Lakeview area. On Wednesday, Mile 84 will follow. Then on Thursday and Friday, Birchview and Willowvale join in. On Friday or Saturday, depending on how things unfold, all of Flin Flon will be hooked up to the plant when its million-gallon reservoir _ the one Bacon referred to _ is put into commission. That will bring Flin Flonners drinking water that can meet all government health standards _ and Bacon says people will notice the difference. The water will be clearer, he says, and carry a subtle sky-blue-like tinge as opposed to the yellow-green tinge that is (barely) noticeable in the current water. Odour and taste will also improve, something Bacon has observed firsthand from water samples already treated at the plant. 'You won't get that lake-ish smell that you get in the summertime,' he explains. 'And when you change the odour, obviously the flavour of the water is going to change.' Other differences may not be discernible but will be just as important. 'What it's going to do is get rid of the viruses and the bacteria and pathogens that are in the water everywhere,' Bacon says. 'We have to take them out by law.' From the outside, the tan and blue treatment plant is an attractive, if overly bulky, structure spanning some 12,900 square feet. On the inside, it is an engineering marvel. Wearing a white hard hat and brown steel-toed boots, the agreeable Bacon makes a perfect tour guide of this concrete-laden maze of tanks, pipes, cables and gauges. He is joined by fellow tour guide James Reitlo. Reitlo, along with another veteran city employee, Dennis Stringer, has been named co-manager here. Off in one corner, Bacon points to two rock-solid pipes where the feeder lines from Cliff Lake, the source of Flin Flon's drinking water, enter the building. Early in its journey, the water is injected with a coagulant that clumps together all of the dirt and organics that the incoming H20 brings with it. The water makes its way through a pair of towering plastic tanks before proceeding to a series of 108 pipe-shaped filter units. Inside each unit is a bundle of tiny, spaghetti-like tubes. Forcing the water through those tubes dislodges the clumped-together waste. This muck is then regularly excreted into a concrete basin below. 'Right now all of that stuff is going to distribution,' says Bacon, pointing to what looks like the floor of a very muddy basement. 'After this (plant is commissioned), none of that stuff that's in the water will get out.' See 'Less' on pg. Continued from pg. As advanced as the treatment plant is, it still relies on the addition of a chemical used to disinfect Flin Flon's water for decades _ chlorine. Chlorine reliably kills organics in the water. But since this sprawling plant will remove a high volume of those organics, less chlorine will be needed than is presently the case. That, in turn, should mean far fewer trihalomethanes making it to your tap. THMs, as they are known, are health-damaging chemical compounds produced when chlorine combines with organics. Off in another corner of the plant is a row of what looks like six overgrown fire hydrants. Bacon explains that they are the pumps that will thrust the water to your home. Unless there is a major fire somewhere in Flin Flon, Bacon doubts all six pumps will ever be required at once. Typically one to four will be in operation. 'As the system calls for more water, you'll start with one pump, then another pump will kick in, then another and another,' he says. All the while, every drop of water flowing through the plant is monitored 24/7 to ensure appropriate pH, chlorine levels and turbidity, which is a fancy word for water clarity. If something ever goes amiss, even after-hours, staff are notified and required to immediately rectify the problem. The plant also features an in-house lab where staff will consistently test water samples to ensure safety. Early into his tour, Bacon is quick to note that the water treatment plant is more than its name suggests. It is also a water heating plant that will replace the city's antiquated No. 2 Heating Plant nearby. This heating plant section of the water treatment plant features bright white pipes twisting and turning overhead. It is here that potable water is first heated to ensure the municipal distribution system does not freeze up on cold winter days. The new system is more effective than anything No. 2 Heating Plant could ever do. For one, instead of heating all of the incoming water at a low temperature, the new system will heat a portion of the water at a high temperature. This heated water will then be mixed in with the rest of the water to increase the temperature of all of the H20. See 'Delays' on pg. Continued from pg. 'In theory it's supposed to be more efficient,' Bacon says. Another change is that while No. 2 Heating Plant relies on a fuel-fired boiler, the new system features a more efficient electric boiler. The treatment plant, whose last cost estimate was $15.2 million, was originally due to open about a year ago. But delays, including the presence of bedrock at the construction site, pushed the completion date back. When the plant comes online next week, Bacon says there will be 'an adjustment period' during which residents may notice unusual, but expected, changes. Residents with sudden low water pressure are urged to monitor the situation and ensure that their strainers are not plugged. If there is high water pressure in a home, Bacon asks that residents immediately contact the city to ensure the distribution system is not at risk of damage. Some residents may see cloudy or murky water. If that's the case, letting your bathtub run for 20 minutes should clear away the problem. Another possibility is spurts of brown or reddish water. This could happen if the new water, as expected, clears away muck that has affixed to the inside of pipes within the water grid. Bacon says the tinged water should go away on its own, though surges of the discolouration may show occasionally for a long time to come. While it is not nice to look at, he says the contents of the discoloured water is not viewed as harmful. 'It's just part of having an aged infrastructure,' Bacon says. Lastly, some residents may perceive a high amount of chlorine in their water as the city works over a period of weeks or months to determine just the right chlorine level. At no point will chlorine levels exceed government guidelines, Bacon says. And only if the level of chlorine seems quite extreme should residents contact the city. An official opening for the treatment plant is planned for a later date. For now the only hoopla over the facility will come from the thousands of people who are about to enjoy drinking water of the highest quality.

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