Planned utility work will help keep the good water flowing in and the bad water flowing out.
The city is proceeding with a pair of pump projects, one at Salmon Arm's water treatment plant and the other at its wastewater treatment facility.
For the water treatment plant in Canoe, the city will be tapping into its Water Major Maintenance Reserve to rebuild an existing low lift pump for $52,000 plus taxes. The work will be done by Electric Motors & Pump Services Ltd. (EMPS), which is the authorized local distributor.
At council's May 26 meeting, engineering and public works director Rob Niewenhuizen explained the pump, one of four, was due for a rebuild, which was expected to cost $25,000. However, after the pump was removed, EMPS found additional work was required, prompting staff to request a budget amendment to use $35,000 from the maintenance reserve.
Council voted to support the amendment, and the rebuild going to EMPS.
"Seems to me this is like when you take your car to the garage and you think it’s going to cost you a certain amount and it ends up costing you double, but you still have to pay it to get your car to work," commented Mayor Alan Harrison.
The second purchase, also sole-sourced, was a bit easier to swallow. The city will be acquiring a return activated sludge pump from Westcomm Pump & Equipment Ltd. for $27,758.00 plus taxes and shipping.
"This particular pump transfers the activated sludge to the suspended growth reactor, which is the tricking filter, which is the large smelly portion of our waste water treatment plant," said Niewenhuizen, noting the pump has been repaired over the years and is due for replacement.
"And on a better note, we received a quote for $27,000 and that is what the cost is to replace this pump."
For the purchase, council approved using $35,000 from the city's sewer capital budget.
