One of two large reservoirs that serves as an emergency back-up for Sackville’s water supply. A hiking trail runs beside the reservoir on the left
Tantramar Town Engineer Jon Eppell says the town is planning to post signs within the next year to keep dogs and people out of the big, open-air reservoirs that serve as an emergency back-up for Sackville’s water supply.
The reservoirs are accessible to hikers, dog-walkers, snowshoers and cross-country skiers who use the network of Ogden Loop trails off Walker Road.
“It’s unusual to have trails so close to a water supply,” Eppell told Warktimes Tuesday night.
He acknowledged that Sackville gets its water from three deep wells, but says the reservoirs should be protected in case they’re needed as back-up.
His comments came after town council approved spending more than $100,000 to replace and refurbish three low-lift pumps inside Sackville’s water treatment plant.
“These are pumps that pump from the raw water tank that’s underneath the building, through the filters and into the clear well where it’s chlorinated and then goes into Sackville,” Eppell told council.
Sackville’s water treatment plant
Last September, council approved spending just over $55,000 to buy one new pump for the treatment plant after Eppell said the pumps, which date from 1997, have never been refurbished even though it’s standard practice to rebuild them every 7 to 12 years.
“We believe that they are operating at about 40% of their rated capacity and that has been affecting our ability to produce water,” he said at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
He added that the new pump should arrive soon and will be hoisted by crane through an existing roof hatch.
The pump that it replaces will be rebuilt and will in turn replace a second pump that will also be rebuilt to replace the third while it is refurbished.
The total bill will come to $100,705 plus HST.
To read Eppell’s two-page background report to council, click here.
For previous coverage, click here.
Sackville pump house over well #1 is located near the treatment plant which can be seen in the distance on the right. It is one of three deep wells that pump water into the raw water reservoir underneath the plant
Last summer, Tantramar council approved spending about $113,000 to replace two wooden pump houses that dated from the early 1980s.
That included $55,000 for a new pump for well #1 as well as additional well-drilling; $35,000 for electrical work and $22,000 for additional technical work on both wells #1 and #2.
Eppell said at the time that the pump house over well #3, which opened in 2015, is made of fibreglass and is in good shape.
Sackville’s water system includes the highly-visible tower located just off Hesler Drive that cost $4 million and was officially opened in November 2010. It has a 550,000 gallon capacity.
To read previous coverage about work on the wells, click here.
