The Village of Ashcroft’s sewage treatment plant will undergo a full assessment — including a cost and time estimate of potential upgrades — following council direction at its December meeting.
The village will enlist the services of consultants from Urban Systems — at a cost of approximately $34,000 — to determine what upgrades and repairs may be needed for the aging infrastructure.
“The plant was built in about 1975, and part of that plant was brought over from the original plant,” director of public works Brian Bennewith explained at the Dec. 13 council meeting. “Over the years we have done many upgrades, but there are areas that we have to take into consideration as to the quality of the tanks, the ventilation, and so on.”
One area noted in a proposal by Urban Systems is the ultraviolet disinfection system that was installed in the mid-2000s.
“While the system continues to perform well, manual maintenance is needed, and discussions with the supplier have indicated that retrofitting with an automatic cleaning system is not possible for a UV system of this age,” the proposal states.
Once the assessment is completed, a strategic plan will be developed to allow for budgeting, permitting, design, and implementation of capital upgrades.
Council voted unanimously to move forward with the assessment. Coun. Deb Tuohey also requested that council be taken on a tour of the treatment plant in the New Year, to get a better understanding of the assessment and needed upgrades.
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