Nearly a year after a devastating fire, work on the Wheatley Water Treatment Plant continues.
According to a municipal press release, the rebuilding phase of the plant will commence this fall with an eye on returning to full operation in June 2025.
In the meantime, affected residents can remain confident in the supply from a temporary treatment system installed in May, officials said.
The fire struck in September 2023 when the standby generator was undergoing regular maintenance and testing. Damage was significant, forcing residents in Tilbury and Wheatley to draw their drinking water from the Union Supply System and the Chatham-Kent South Water Treatment Plant.
The temporary system, which pumps water from Lake Erie to the plant, complies and exceeds all regulatory requirements set out by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Karen Burgess, director of operations of the Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission for water and wastewater, said the Wheatley plant has gone through extensive structural assessments and cleaning in the restoration process.
“We appreciate the patience of the affected residents during this process and look forward to getting the facility back to its original operating state,” Burgess said.
West Kent Coun. Lauren Anderson said she’s pleased the work is proceeding.
“I’m just very happy to see the work that’s been done and the due diligence to ensure Wheatley has water,” Anderson said after touring the site.
