Construction of an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system at Castlegar’s North Sewage Treatment Plant (NSTP) is moving forward as Marwest Industries was awarded the $426,624 installation contract at city council’s March 18 meeting.
The work was deemed necessary after a June 2022 Ministry of Environment inspection required the city to develop a plan to make improvements to the effluent disinfection system at the NSTP to meet current environmental regulations.
A study by a consultant determined that a UV disinfection system would be the best option and the Ministry of Environment endorsed the solution.
The supply contract for the actual disinfection equipment was awarded back in September 2023 at a cost of $263,000 plus taxes. Another $100,000 in costs is expected for consulting services and site inspections, bringing the project’s total to about $800,000.
Once the new system is up and running, the city expects that approximately 24 hours of crew time will be saved per week because treatment plant operators will no longer need to manually manage and monitor the chlorination and de-chlorination of wastewater effluent.
Another bonus is an improvement to crew safety as managing chlorine poses a significant safety hazard, according to the city.
Going forward, chlorine will only be in use at the city’s Water Treatment Centre.
Construction is expected to be finished by the end of August.
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