Water plant staff report pump repairs, communications fixes and instrumentation upgrades

Water and wastewater staff provided a lengthy operations update describing recent repairs, equipment replacements and recommendations for longer‑term work. Staff said the control valve on finished water pump 1 was repaired and that a streaming current unit used for chemical feed measurement was replaced after it failed and fell into the equipment box.

"We got the control valve on finished water pump 1 repaired," the operator reported, and staff said the repair returned a pump to service. They also said a new antenna was installed to restore communications with the raw water pump station so the operator can remotely start and stop pumps during storms instead of sending staff in person. Upcoming purchases noted included new chemical feed pumps and analytical instrumentation for SCADA to improve real‑time monitoring of turbidity, pH and chlorine.

Staff and council discussed drying bed options and structural concerns at the facility; engineers recommended drying beds as a likely practical solution for sludge handling and staff said they are gathering quotes for structural repairs and long‑term sludge handling (plate settlers or similar). The council asked staff to continue pressing the consultant and to return with quotes and recommended next steps.

Why it matters: the repairs and planned instrumentation upgrades aim to improve operational reliability and reduce chemical and energy costs, while the longer‑term drying bed or plate settler decisions have capital implications and affect the plant’s resilience for coming winters.