SUNDRE – An expense of about $16,000 is intended to add a layer of redundancy to ensure the municipality can maintain water pressure for users when the system requires either emergent repairs or general upkeep.
The matter was first brought before council this past spring after a master servicing study had identified a potential risk of the existing system, which already has two pumps, being left unable to sustain adequate flows in the event of an emergent issue.
“We do have redundancy, but the single pump would not be enough to meet our daily water usage,” Chris Albert, director of corporate services, told council at the April 29 meeting.
Albert had also noted at the time that there had not yet been any incidents and that the project was considered a precautionary priority.
Although council had approved the quote of roughly $12,300, the estimate did not include the cost of installation, and the item was to be brought back once the final invoicing had been determined.
The pump was finally delivered in December, and council heard on Dec. 16 during a regular meeting that the overall expense including a third-party installation was expected to come in at approximately $16,000.
The investment will help ensure the long-term viability of current and future water wells, said Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer.
The raw water intake system is currently operated by two pumps with the capacity to add a third that would allow the existing motors to be removed for servicing without restricting flows, Nelson told council.
“If one of the pumps or motors are taken out of service, the town cannot pump enough raw water to the treatment plant for the average daily demand,” she said.
Coun. Jaime Marr asked if the originally quoted amount for the equipment had changed in the span of time since it was first approved.
Albert said the cost of the pump had not changed significantly and that it was mainly a matter of waiting for the unit to arrive to get a better idea of how much it would cost install.
Coun. Owen Petersen said he was pleased that administration has identified the redundancy, especially when it comes to the water service, which he considers a top priority among utilities.
Council unanimously carried a motion approving the final cost in the amount of $16,000 with the funding drawn from the municipality’s utility infrastructure lifecycling restricted surplus account.
Jim Hall, Sundre’s operations manager, told the Albertan in response to a follow-up question that the equipment is expected to be installed in January.
