The first thought that might have come to people’s as they noticed water flowing from the Lac La Biche County water treatment plant down Beaver Hill Road on the morning of Oct. 11 was that there had been a leak at the facility. They might have had the same sinking feeling the next day as water continued to run from the Hervey Marchildon Water Treatment Plant and down the sidewalk and roadway.
In fact, the runoff was a result of crews cleaning tanks inside the facility, as part of regular maintenance. Additional water is used to remove any sediment from the holding tanks, and any overflow was pumped out of the facility. Part of the maintenance is carried out by underwater divers contracted by the municipality.
“This process requires the de-chlorinated water to be discharged while removing sediment,” said Jihad Moghrabi, the manager for Marketing, Communications, and Engagement with Lac La Biche County.
Moghrabi said that depending on the amount of sediment that has accumulated, the cleaning that was being could take several hours.
"It's a slow process, as don't want to stir everything up while doing the work," he explained, adding that there are two tanks inside the water treatment plant. "This maintenance occurs every two years, or as needed. We also do this type of maintenance at our raw water intake twice a year, and our five reservoirs alternating every two years."
By Thursday afternoon, the maintenance was completed.
