Okanagan community’s new $25 million water treatment plant already needs $2.5 million upgrade

A small Okanagan community that has already invested millions into a new water treatment plant will need to spend millions more to fix it.

Peachland’s water treatment plant, which has been in operation for less than a year, cost $25 million. The plant will now need another $2.5 million in upgrades as there have been issues with its backwash system, said director of operations Shawn Grundy, in a report that will be presented to council, Tuesday, Dec. 14.

“Although there have been some significant challenges, the facility and its staff have successfully weathered a year of filtered water provision,” he said in the report.

There were periods this year where staff spent more time at the plant than at home to ensure the whole system didn’t “crash” and to prevent a boil water order, Grundry said.

The backwash system is supposed to remove dirt and contaminants from filter beds by passing water and air through the beds in a reverse direction.

But “with the incoming water quality constantly fluctuating, any sort of treatment setting (i.e. chemical injection concentration) had to be watched vigilantly,” Grundy said.

Installation of the new residuals treatment technology is needed at the cost of roughly $2.5 million. “Staff have been piloting a rudimentary interim solution since late summer and it has made an extreme difference in ease of operation,” he said.

Without making these improvements, Peachland’s treatment plant will likely experience a high turnover of staff and issues meeting water quality standards, he said.

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