Daajing Giids councillors have hired engineers to design more reliable controls and communications systems for the Honna River water treatment plant. Expected to be done by spring, the design work and upgrade itself may cost around $400,000.
In June, the Honna water plant systems suddenly failed overnight, leading to low water pressure at several homes and village-wide water restrictions.
Engineers with WSP Canada flew in to work with Village of Daajing Giids public works staff on an emergency fix. At the time, they also identified several long-term issues, including outdated hardware, electrical problems and, most critically, faulty communications links between the Honna plant, reservoir, and public works yard.
At a special meeting held Oct. 28, Daajing Giids council awarded a $115,850 contract to WSP Canada to design the systems upgrade, with all funding to come from the village’s pre-approved Northern Capital and Planning Grant.
Bill Beamish, interim CAO for the village, said it will likely cost between $250,000 and $300,000 to buy and install the necessary equipment.
Beamish said the current systems were rudimentary even when they were installed in 2009. The new ones won’t change how the water plant works, he said, but they will make it more reliable, and will be designed so they can scale up to handle the village’s wastewater treatment system when it’s built.
“The only thing that I would like to make sure we flag really clearly to them is how unreliable our internet service is here at this point,” said Mayor Lisa Pineault.
Beamish agreed, and said the WSP Canada engineers will explore communications options that don’t depend on a live internet connection.
On a brighter note, Beamish noted that the Honna River water plant cleared a McDonald’s-style milestone in October. Since it opened 15 years ago, the plant has served over 1 billion liters of clean drinking water.