Lemieux Island intake improvements: new date for open house

Lemieux Island has one of two water purification plants in the City. One of the issues the City is facing is the build up of "frazil" ice at the intake pipe, and it is looking at solutions through an Environmental Assessment (EA) process, in consultation with the feds and province. The City can contract temporary pumping services, but they're not a long-term fix. As part of the EA, the City is hosting a public open house to look at the alternatives being considered to modify the intake pipe.

Staff will be on hand at the open house on Wednesday, September 30 from 4-6 pm in the Filter Gallery at the plant, 1 River Street.

Just in case you're wondering, according to the City "frazil ice forms in open, turburlent, supercooled water which is typical of the river conditions near the plant intake. Because of the relatively shallow depth of water above the intake piping, frazil ice builds up below the ice surface and interferes with the flow entering the plant. This frazil ice can block the intake pipe and associated screening, resulting in unplanned (water purification plant) shutdowns or significantly restricted plant flows, which put the water supply at risk."

Frazil ice: your Kitchissippi word of the day.