Estevan’s water treatment plant is fully operational once again, and residents are no longer being asked to conserve water.
A transmission line malfunction occurred on July 3 at a line exiting the facility, due to corrosion. The leak was isolated, but two of the three transmission lines into the city had to be disabled, leaving the plant operating at 50 per cent capacity.
The repair operation began July 7, and after excavation, it was discovered the leak was occurring five meters deep.
“Later on Friday afternoon (July 10), we got the break isolated and our transmission lines turned back on,” water treatment plant manager Kevin Sutter told the Mercury. “We spent the weekend refilling the reserves.”
The reserves were fully stocked on July 12.
Sutter said a manifold feeding the transmission lines caused the problem. Several manifold lines provide links to one pipeline.
“We had to dig down deeper, and then isolate that manifold system,” said Sutter. “We will have to replace the manifold system, but we do have to have it redesigned and replaced. We have it all bypassed and fully operational now.”
The replacement will likely need to be a budget item, but Sutter doesn’t know when it will happen.
“If it’s doable within this year’s budget, we’ll probably do it this year, otherwise we’ll do it next year,” said Sutter.
Sutter said he doesn’t have an estimate on the cost to repair the transmission line, but it took four days from the contractor’s arrival on the site, until they were finished back-filling.
Water treatment plant capacity was reduced by 50 per cent during the repairs, so the City of Estevan asked residents to eliminate non-essential water use until July 12. City employees also stopped all non-essential water use, including the use of sprinklers.
Sutter said it’s hard to tell whether residents actually conserved water during the repairs to the transmission line, because they don’t know how much would have been used if they didn’t request conservation.
“People have talked to me and said they refrained from watering, and they would have watered if we didn’t put that request out for people to refrain from watering,” Sutter said. “I did see some sprinklers out during that period, but I also talked to people who refrained from sprinkling.”
He appreciates the patience local residents showed in the days after the break.
The City of Estevan stressed the water was safe to drink throughout the process, and the issues were related to water supply.
It’s the third time there has been a transmission line issue for Sutter to deal with during his 29-year career with the City of Estevan, but it is his first issue due to corrosion. Sutter previously stated the affected transmission line was installed before he started working for the City in 1986.
