Grey Highlands is moving toward a $3-million replacement of the water treatment systems serving the Kimberley and Amik areas.
Council, sitting as committee of the whole on August 26, voted 4-3 in favour of having staff move ahead with an option that would replace both treatment systems at the Kimberley-Amik-Talisman Water Treatment Plant. The decision still requires final council approval.
The plant has been operating for more than three decades.
"The Kimberley-Amik-Talisman Water Treatment Plant (KAT WTP) has been in operation since 1993 and the original package filtration system is still in operation," a staff report said.
A recent optimization and capacity study found the plant is currently using about 17 to 21 per cent of its rated capacity, but aging equipment means it can reliably provide only about 75 per cent of its designed capacity.
The municipality says the water system draws from two raw-water springs and uses a conventional filtration plant.
"The system consists of two raw water springs and a conventional filtration packaged plant," the report continued.
Council was presented with several options for upgrading the facility. The preferred option would replace both treatment systems and provide full redundancy while maintaining the plant’s rated capacity of 1,185 cubic metres per day.
The estimated cost is $3 million.
Grey Highlands had previously said the optimization and capacity study would return to committee for further discussion.
