THUNDER BAY – Nearly 25 local residents were led on a guided tour through the Bare Point Water Treatment Plant on Thursday, where they learned how their potable drinking water is cleaned and distributed throughout the municipality.
“I think a lot of people know that when they turn on their tap, water comes out, but they don't necessarily know where it comes from," Walter Turek, the process engineer at the plant, told Newswatch in an interview. "So, it helps raise awareness about where the water comes from, what the treatment process is and the amount of dedication that goes into ensuring that the water's safe to drink.”
Turek said the city’s water comes directly from the largest and closest freshwater source: Lake Superior, adding that it comes in through one 36-inch pipe and two 24-inch pipes located off the shore.
“Both those pipes go 733 metres into the water, and where it goes in, the water is 14 metres deep," Turek said. "The intake structure is 10 metres below the surface of the water, but not right on the lake bed because you don't want to pull in sand and debris.”
The plant provides up to 113.5 million litres of water per day, through eight pressure zones, seven pump stations, four reservoirs and one standpipe.
Turek said the water is then pumped through membrane ultra-filtration technology, which filters viruses and bacteria from the water; sodium hypochlorite is also used to disinfect it before it’s safe to drink.
He said that Thunder Bay’s potable water scored 100 per cent on their last inspection, meeting all the provincial Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks regulatory requirements.
“There's a team of dedicated people whose number-one priority is to make sure that the water is safe to drink,” said Turek.
Wendy O’Connor, a communications officer with the City of Thunder Bay, said public works week is a national celebration by municipalities to appreciate city staff and provide more information for the public about public works.
Aside from the tour of the water treatment plant, city residents can also tour Thunder Bay Fire Rescue's Station 3 on Water Street from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday May 23.
There will also be an open house at the equipment yard on Mountdale Avenue on Saturday, May 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“There'll be lots of big equipment there: rock trucks, excavators, fire trucks, staff to talk with, bouncy castles, prizes, games, popcorn — you name it, that's going to be a beautiful day,” O’Connor said.
