The water treatment plant in Wheatley is expected to remain out of commission for “the foreseeable future” due to extensive damage caused by a generator fire.
Officials with the Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission provided an update on the situation Wednesday afternoon after completing an initial investigation at the Wheatley Water Treatment Plant. A restoration team will soon be conducting a decontamination of the plant to ensure the site is safe for contractors to begin repairs.
Municipal officials said due to the extent of the damage caused by the fire on September 13, it could be over a year or more before the facility returns to normal operations.
In the meantime, the PUC said work is ongoing to implement system changes that will ensure the supply of water is sustainable. However, residents in Wheatley and Tilbury remain under a boil water advisory due to low water pressure.
“We would like the people of Wheatley and Tilbury to know that although the water treatment plant will be out of service for the foreseeable future, this does not necessarily mean that the boil water advisory will be active for that amount of time as well,” said PUC General Manager Tim Sunderland. “Once we stabilize the water supply, which we are working to do now, we will be able to test the water with accurate and repeatable results.”
The water supply is currently being maintained through bulk water haulers and system interconnects with neighbouring water systems.
Trailers of bottled water are also being brought to the affected communities in case of an emergency.
PUC officials said once the reliability of the current water system can be confirmed, water testing will commence to determine when the boil water advisory can be lifted.
“We continue to gather information on the extent of the damage and will be providing a timeline for restoration of full service as soon as possible,” said Sunderland.
Updated information on the boil water advisory can be accessed by calling the Water Advisory Update Line at 519-436-3240.
