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Major Water Treatment Plant Equipment To Be Repaired In Wheatley

Fire at the Wheatley Water Treatment Plant, September 13, 2023.

While restoration continues at the Wheatley Water Treatment Plant, two major pieces of equipment are being refurbished to ensure water demand can be met in the spring and summer months.

Darren Galbraith, general manager of the Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission, said following a fire at the plant on September 13, 2023, experts went through the facility to determine which pieces of equipment would need to be repaired or replaced.

He said the motor control centre, which receives power from Hydro One and distributes it to multiple components within the plant, and the automatic transfer switch, which switches power to on-site generation if there is an electrical outage, can both be rehabilitated.

“These two pieces of equipment are on the critical path of remediation to have the plant up and operating as soon as possible,” said Galbraith.

The cost of the equipment restoration will be around $850,000, which will be paid for through an insurance company, with delivery of the repaired parts expected within four months.

A full replacement of two major pieces of infrastructure would have cost $1.55 million with a delivery time of over one year.

Galbraith said two mobile water treatment trailers have also arrived at the site and will be in service by late April to help meet the expected water demand in the spring and summer.

In the meantime, water continues to be supplied to the Tilbury and Wheatley areas through interconnects with Leamington and south Chatham.

“As the number of daylight hours increases [along with] the heat, so will the demand. So we understand there’s going to be less water coming in our direction from that interconnect. That’s why we have the treatment trailers,” he said. “We have to be ready for that demand, especially when it gets warm our demand goes up and starts in June. And then we get into the fall, with food processors which increase the demand as well.”

Galbraith added that it’s critical that Wheatley residents continue to conserve water to the best of their ability as remediation efforts continue.

The fire at the Wheatley Water Treatment Plant on September 13, 2023, caused significant damage and resulted in a boil water advisory being issued for residents in Wheatley in Tilbury. The advisory remained in effect for three weeks before being lifted in early October.

Galbraith said the PUC expects the treatment plant will be fully restored and operational by late 2024 or early 2025, barring any unforeseen issues.

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