Blenheim and Wallaceburg will see upgrades at their respective water treatment plants.
The Blenheim Wastewater Treatment Plant will be receiving a $450,000 upgrade to the treatment process aimed at helping reduce the amount of phosphorus entering the Great Lakes.
The plant, located at 19819 Lagoon Rd, will be undergoing upgrades to the chemical treatment system and head works system. The plant was last upgraded in 1997.
In Wallaceburg, the Wallaceburg Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) will be receiving $250,000 for the replacement of two Archimedes Screw pumps and controls. The Wallaceburg WPCP, located at 795 Gillard St. had the sludge return pumps last upgraded in 1991.
“As one of the Council reps on CK PUC it is great to see projects such as this taking place in Wallaceburg,” Coun. Jeff Wesley said in a release. “The funding available keeps costs down and these improvements will have a very positive impact on not only the environment but future growth.”
The Blenheim project involves upgrading the head works and chemical feed systems to improve facility operations and to obtain further phosphorus reductions within the treatment system.
Construction is anticipated to begin in October with an expected completion date of July 2018.
Tim Sunderland, General Manager of Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission, said the PUC is looking at ways to help with the reduction of phosphorus in the Great Lakes. This project will improve facility operations with better chemical dosage control that will help with further phosphorus reductions.
The Wallaceburg project is to upgrade sludge return pumps and controls to improve facility operations. The existing pumps are 26 years old and need replacing. This project started in July and has an expected completion date of March 2018.
The wastewater facility currently meets requirements, but with these upgrades the facility will have further reductions of phosphorus in the sewage effluent.
Sunderland said “CK PUC is upgrading the pumps to improve operating efficiency and plant operations.”
The federal government’s Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF) will cover hafl the expense for the projects, while the province is contributing 25 per cent, and the remaining 25 per cent is to be covered by the PUC.
