West Kelowna celebrates new Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant – Okanagan | 24CA News
For so long as West Kelowna has been a metropolis, residents have been coping with water high quality points. That is till now, because the Rose Valley Water Treatment plant is formally up and operating.
Prior to commissioning of the brand new water remedy plant, neighbourhoods on the Rose Valley water system usually had been topic to water high quality and boil water advisories.
“I feel really satisfied that we are now delivering some of the best water in the Okanagan,” stated Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant Operator Two Scott Brost. “Compared to its previous quality where we were constantly putting on every year water quality advisories.”
On Friday, residents and native officers acquired a firsthand look inside the brand new facility throughout a grand opening ceremony.
“It’s been a long time coming and we thank the more than 19,650 Rose Valley system users for the patience throughout the planning and construction of what is truly the city’s largest infrastructure project,” stated West Kelowna’s Mayor Gord Milsom.
The undertaking was funded by way of greater than $40 million in federal and provincial grants, metropolis funds in addition to elevated water charges for owners within the neighbourhoods that the plant serves.
Following a number of delays, section one of many plant launched in November of final yr, and by December of 2023, greater than half of West Kelowna households began to obtain clear water from the plant.
“Despite the unprecedented issues such as supply chain, labour shortages and surviving a wildfire which kind of went right over this building… the project remained on budget at $75 million,” stated Milsom.
The plant has the capability to ship 70 million litres of handled water per day. It was additionally designed to extend capability to 115 million litres per day to satisfy future calls for.
Officials say the power is a major improve to the previous water techniques that used to service the neighborhood.
“The process before this plant was just that, we just added chlorine, so it was the only barrier,” stated West Kelowna’s Director of Engineering and Public Works Allen Fillion.
“We now have three different barriers and approaches now in addition to the chlorine disinfection.”
The remedy course of consists of coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, ultraviolet (UV) mild disinfection and chlorination.
A multi-barrier remedy course of that, in response to town, improves the style, color, and odor of the water.
“There’s four processes altogether to treat the water that we end up with a final product that exceeds all provincial requirements,” added Fillion.
This means constant, secure and clear water regardless of any potential outbreaks within the reservoir.
“All of these processes that we just talked about, remove all that colour, all that turbidity, they’ll handle essentially anything that the reservoir throws at us,” stated Fillion.
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