The Town of Churchbridge has exciting news for residents. The Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water Treatment Plant Upgrade is nearing completion.
The building addition is complete with a few interior tasks to be completed. The lab area is expected to be completed over the next week or two, and final touches will then be made to plumbing and electrical.
The new well was put on line and the old well was decommissioned around mid-September. The Reverse Osmosis unit has been installed and calibration has been ongoing, and very recently the system began production of RO water directly into the town’s water distribution.
Recent testing completed by Town Staff shows many residents are already receiving RO water. It will, however, take another week or two before the last of the old water is flushed out at the farthest points of the town’s distribution.
The Town of Churchbridge is hoping to have an official commissioning date later this month if things continue to run smoothly.
As far as the motivation behind the project, the RO system project came to be out of necessity. The town had to address ammonia levels which were becoming too high per Water Security Agency Regulations; this would mean the Town of Churchbridge would be put on a permanent Boil Water Advisory by July of 2022 if this was not resolved.
A Reverse Osmosis system will bring the town’s water quality back up well within regulations due to the increased filtration.
The Town of Churchbridge received a grant from the Federal and Provincial government in 2018 to proceed with the project, and contractors broke ground last fall to begin the addition.
As is the case with many large scale-projects, the town has had to adapt to some shifting circumstances. The project has not always been a smooth process, and there have been hiccups and delays at times; however, the Town of Churchbridge is happy to say the project is almost complete and soon there will officially be RO water flowing through the town’s pipes.