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Water treatment plant restored to full capacity

Residents, businesses may use water as normal

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed December 22, 2018 4:57 PM

Summary

As of 5:00 p.m. on December 22, 2018, the water treatment plant has returned at full capacity. Staff pinpointed the issue to a control device within the plant which malfunctioned during the power outage. The device has been replaced and the plant is now running normally.

Residents and businesses may go back to using water as normal and City pools will reopen on Saturday at 5 p.m. The City thanks the community for coming together over the past two days to conserve water and help maintain supply.

A special thanks to Nanaimo Forest Products and Associated Engineering for providing support to water treatment staff.

Link to Strategic Plan: n/a

Key Points

  • The water treatment plant has returned to full capacity and is running in automatic mode.
  • Residents and businesses can go back to using water as normal.
  • City pools will reopen on Saturday at 5 p.m.
  • The Beban Park warming centre will be open tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Quotes

"Thursday's storm lead to a series of unexpected events ultimately leading to the malfunction. We are happy to report the water treatment plant is up and running at full capacity. We are overwhelmed by the community's efforts and messages of support for our staff. Thank you for your patience, cooperation and understanding."

Bill Sims
Director, Engineering and Public Works
City of Nanaimo

Quick Facts

  • BC Hydro has reported Thursday's storm was the most devastating windstorm in 20 years.
  • Staff believe the issue occurred when the generator failed or restarted and sent a bump of ‘bad power’ through the plant’s control system. This caused a control device to fail. Operators diagnosed the problem with the assistance of Nanaimo Forest Products and Associated Engineering staff, and were able to swap a spare device in its place.
  • At 4:00 a.m. on December 21, 2018, generators in the City of Nanaimo's water treatment plant suffered a breakdown. Plant operators were able to restore generator power however, a number of critical faults within the plant have been interrupting production.

Videos

Water Treatment Plant Update from City of Nanaimo
Water Treatment Plant Update from City of Nanaimo
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Contact:

Tracy Loewen
Communication and Marketing Specialist
City of Nanaimo
CityofNanaimoNews@nanaimo.ca

Print News Release

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