Capital Improvements
Each year during the budget process the District reviews the capital needs of our facility. Usually a list of items to improve efficiency or accomplish a new task competes for funds that would be used to replace a piece of equipment nearing the end of it's useful life. We try to keep a "mind's eye" on the choices to be sure they're long-term solutions and not temporary patches.
Our collection system follows a similar path. Projects we undertake help eliminate undersized or problem lines. Typically these lines are sources of infiltration. Not only do we improve service, but we lower the hydraulic load on our facility. Our capital improvements work towards this goal. It's imperative that our choices keep the mind's eye on future projects - enabling us to tackle those projects when their time comes.
2011 Improvements
Prerequisite to meeting future permit requirements is the completion of our Wastewater Utility Plan. The plan is a tool that can assist our collection and treatment system development. In 2008, it became a pre-condition before changes can be made to wastewater facilities. The exercise can be useful as it requires a comprehensive review of existing operations as well as identifying future needs. This is our primary capital expenditure this year. Sometimes putting items "down on paper" can keep you on track for the future.
In 2011 we hope to purchase a sewer jet to work in conjunction with our television truck. Cleaning and then televising our lines will help prioritize our line replacement schedule in the future. Currently we are in the process of re-prioritizing our 2011 replacement schedule and will provide updates once complete.
Future Improvements
As per our treatment plant, improving our headworks tops the list. Finer screening, with the addition of grit removal is an important step. This will pay immediate dividends by improving our treatment process and extending the life of equipment by removing sand particles at the "headworks". In the future, meeting more stringent effluent restrictions will likely require technologies that demand fine screening and grit removal.
As for our collection program, we have identified line replacements in the Bureau of Reclamation. This will be a difficult task and will require working together with our town's water department. These lines are older and quite deep. In 2008, we invested in trenchless pipe bursting equipment and have begun using the technology in anticipation of it's use in this area.