Upgraded treatment plant includes heat recovery and micro-turbine technology
Penticton, British Columbia, November 8, 2011 – A completed $24-million upgrade to Penticton's Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant will allow more properties in the region to be added to the wastewater collection system. The state-of-the-art facility includes innovative technology that will convert greenhouse gas emissions into electricity and recover heat for reuse in the facility. The project was partially funded with $10.6 million under the Federal Gas Tax Fund.
"Our Government is proud to invest in projects such as the Penticton Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant that strengthen infrastructure and enable our communities to continue to grow and prosper,"
said Dan Albas, Member of Parliament for Okanagan–Coquihalla, on behalf of Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. "Thanks to Canada's Gas Tax Fund, this new facility will help to protect our environment, and ensure that homes and businesses in our community have modern wastewater collection for years to come."
The upgraded facility will serve properties on Penticton Indian Band lands and has added future capacity for Sage Mesa and West Bench, along with new developments within Penticton's boundaries. The project includes several features to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, such as the installation of a micro-turbine, heat recovery technology and a centrifuge sludge-handling unit. Additional improvements to the Lee Avenue lift station and force main will also allow reclaimed water to be used for irrigation throughout the south part of the City, reducing demand for treated domestic water.
"This is a great example of partnering to make large infrastructure improvements possible sooner than would otherwise be possible,"
said Penticton MLA Bill Barisoff. "Using such innovative technology in upgrading the wastewater plant ensures that future needs of B.C. families will be met sustainably, even with community growth."
Thanks to a high level of cooperation and careful planning by the designers, contractor and City staff, the plant remained fully operational during the period of construction without any loss of service to residents.
"Citizens of Penticton will be well served by the capacity and technology improvements made to the Advanced Waste Water Treatment Plant,"
said Dan Ashton, Mayor of Penticton. "The construction completed to date is a big step in upgrading the existing plant, which has served the community well for several decades. The plant is now well on its way to having the ability to meet the growth needs of our community well into the future."
The Gas Tax Fund is a tripartite agreement between Canada, British Columbia and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) that delivers infrastructure funding to local governments primarily for capital projects that lead to cleaner air, cleaner water or reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Each year, $2 billion from Gas Tax Fund is provided to municipalities across Canada. UBCM administers the Gas Tax Fund in British Columbia in collaboration with Canada and British Columbia. On October 4, 2011, the Government of Canada tabled legislation to ensure the Gas Tax Fund will provide permanent funding to municipalities beyond 2014.
"Expanding waste water treatment to areas currently without service is a vital step for protecting local water supplies,"
said Heath Slee, President of UBCM. "UBCM appreciates the support provided by the Gas Tax Fund for Penticton's innovative new facility."
For further information on the Government of Canada's infrastructure investments in British Columbia, visit infrastructure.gc.ca.
For more information:
Pierre Floréa
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Jeff Rud
Communications Director
Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
250-953-3677
Paul Taylor
Relationships and Communications Advisor
UBCM
250-356-2938
Randy Craig
City of Penticton WWTP Supervisor
250-490-2559
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Or Toll-free: 1-877-250-7154
