HUNTSVILLE – For more than 20 years the Fairyview water treatment plant has been providing drinking water to Huntsville residents, and now it needs attention.
The District of Muskoka is responsible for water treatment in the region and on Sept. 10 district council awarded a $1.6 million contract to low bidder Peak Engineering and Construction Ltd. for upgrades at the plant. Work will begin in October and take about a year to complete with no service disruptions for residents, according to staff.
Upgrades to the plant were split into two phases with the first phase wrapping around the G8 world leaders summit held in Huntsville in June 2010. Phase one work included replacement of the filter under drains and other critical components, according to a staff report.
The second phase will address what staff calls high priority work. It will include upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to reduce condensation, related corrosion and moisture damage, replacement of end-of-life equipment, process piping, instrumentation and controls, and low-lift pumping station upgrades and building repairs.
Tony White, commissioner of engineering and public works for the district, said the building was commissioned in the late 1980s and is in need of attention not only to maintain the structure but to continue to comply with water legislation.
“Some parts of the plant are a bit tired and they have to be replaced because their time is up. Other parts are being replaced to comply with new regulations,” said White. “And there are new parts to ensure our investment doesn’t wear out prematurely due to condensation damage and subsequent corrosion – once you get the condensation, you get the water in and then it corrodes.”
The contract will encompass several major projects within the plant, he said.
“There is significant heating, ventilation and air conditioning component to this contract, and it’s designed to deal with all of the condensation we’re experiencing. That condensation is causing damage to the structure and pipes,” he said. “We’re going to put that right so the structural and piping impacts … don’t get to the point where we have to start replacing things.”
The plant is operating at about 70 per cent capacity.