Eston water plant construction is nearly completed

By Joan Janzen

The Town of Eston Water Treatment Plant construction is nearly completed and will soon be able to supply R44WPU with potable water. It’s a huge milestone for the project!

The Utility Board, in consultation with the Engineer and Contractor, decided to delay the commissioning of the R44WPU system until January 2023 to avoid any complications during a holiday start-up.

They noted that the start-up plan would be adjusted to suit winter conditions as they continue to update subscribers on the current status of events. They greatly appreciate the patience and understanding of subscribers as they undergo this transition process.

Donnie Hartsook has been the Water Treatment Operator since 2008, with the exception of the period from 2012 to 2016. Hartsook’s hands-on involvement began when the project started in May of 2021. At that time, plans were for the project to be completed in December 2021. However, those plans were delayed due to supply chain issues.

“The water plant will supply water to the Rural 44 pump house in early 2023, but the water plant itself will not be completed until the end of March,” Hartsook said. “Construction is still taking place.”

A total of 540 subscribers will be served in the town of Eston, and Rural 44 will supply water to an additional 100 subscribers. “Basically, the project was 300 km of distribution pipe and an upgrade of our water plant in Eston to fit that supply,” said Hartsook. “The system we had was from the early 1980s, and it was time to be upgraded.” Now the town water plant will be equipped with a whole new filtration system.

The biggest challenge, according to Hartsook, will be the transition period, but so far, there haven’t been any complications.