Water Treatment Plant filters face operational issues and repair delays

In the heart of Brandon City Hall, council members gathered to discuss pressing matters that affect the community, particularly focusing on the ongoing water treatment plant project. As the meeting unfolded, it became clear that while significant progress has been made, challenges remain.

The council reported that the construction work at the water treatment facility is nearing completion, but the final pay application is still pending. City officials are holding back some payments to ensure that the site is properly vegetated and maintained throughout the summer. “There’s a lot of scrub trees and stuff growing back already, so it’s going to be a process,” one council member noted, emphasizing the importance of ongoing maintenance.

Turning to the water treatment plant's operational status, the council addressed concerns from the public regarding timelines and functionality. Recent attempts to bring the conventional filters online encountered setbacks. Issues arose with backwashing and filling the filters, attributed to oversight in the setup process. “They think they left a couple of the blind flanges on,” a council member explained, indicating that the team would need to drain the detention tank again to rectify the situation.

Despite these hurdles, progress is being made with the reverse osmosis (RO) skids, although not without complications. One of the four skids is currently non-operational due to a valve issue, while the others have experienced intermittent problems. The council acknowledged the hard work of the staff, with one member humorously noting the extensive hours logged by the on-call technician, who had worked 71 hours the previous week, much of it over the weekend and holiday.

As the meeting concluded, the council reiterated their commitment to monitoring the situation closely. They emphasized that while the timeline for full functionality remains uncertain, the repairs and adjustments are being handled diligently. “It’s just taking longer than we’d like,” a council member remarked, reflecting the collective hope for a swift resolution to the ongoing challenges at the water treatment plant. The community will be kept informed as progress continues, ensuring that residents are aware of developments that impact their water services.