Renovation of water treatment plant on schedule

Renovation of water treatment plant on schedule
By Ben Antonius | Daily Republic | August 26, 2008

FAIRFIELD - Dry weather has been good news for the city's water treatment plant.

The project to renovate the Waterman Treatment Plant has benefited from a dry winter and spring, and is on schedule to be completed in September 2009, said Rick Wood, assistant director of the city's Public Works Department.

The project involves modernizing the plant and doubling its capacity, Wood said.

'We took this opportunity to bring the plant's technology and original construction up to date from the 1970s,' Wood said. 'A lot of that was working quite well, but we felt it was time to prepare for the next 50 years.'

Some components of the project have already been completed and put into use at the plant, which is staying operational during the renovation, Wood said. About 70 percent of the project budget has already been spent, he said.

The project will likely not change the quality of the water as it reaches consumers, Wood said. Rather, it will allow the plant to accept and treat poorer-quality water.

'We don't want to shut our plant down if the water gets too turbid,' he said. 'We want to be able to treat through that.'

One reason the doubled capacity is important is because it will accommodate future growth in Fairfield. Added capacity also allows more flexibility for those operating the water system and balancing the supply with water from the NorthBay Regional Water Treatment Plant, Wood said.

See the complete story at the Daily Republic online.