'Just one of many big projects': Waste-water plant upgrades underway

Charlottetown's waste-water treatment plant is undergoing its first major upgrade 20 years.

The city is refurbishing both of itsanaerobic digesters, which have been used at the plant since it was first built in themid-1970s.

"It's just one of many big projects going on this year and has been for the last three," said CharlottetownCoun. EddieRice, chair of the city's water and sewer utility committee.

"It's all part of maintenance It's just what we have to do to keep up with the system."

Digesters process sewer sludge, and are critical to the waste-water treatment process.

The system that allows the lid to raise and lower is being replaced.

The inside will be sandblasted and afresh coat of protective layer will beadded.

'We've been lucky'

"You can't shut both down or we shut our whole system down," said Rice, adding that when the first is replaced they will start working on the second.

The city is also replacing its current gas mixing system. Large pumps and nozzles are being added.

The system convertswaste into biogas that is usedfor energy at the plant, and also asbio-solid materials forfertilizer and soil amendment for agricultural fields.

The cost of the work is estimated at morethan $1 million.

"It'll make for a cleaner, more efficient system to run. It's right up to the present," said Rice. "Our fears of breaks or breakdowns is less and less."

"It's been overdue and we've been lucky, but we had to make sure the dollars were there from all three parts of government to allow us to do it."

'It takes many months'

Work began in May. Contents of the digester had to be removed, then it had to be cleaned, thelidlifted and repairs done.

"It takes many months," said Rice. "It will be done this fall. We put it off last year because of the delay in getting funding and the dollars in place, and all the work that we had to do, so we decided to do this one now and do another one in late fall."

So far, the city saideverything continues to workwell with only one digester operating.

It's stillproducing gas and still getting the reduction and the change of quality of material the city expects and needs.

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