St Saviour’s Water Treatment Works refurbishment enters its next phase this week, with the facility due to be shut down during the coming autumn and winter.
Part of an ongoing multi-million pound overhaul, the treatment works will move from membrane to rapid gravity filtration process technology. This will reduce energy and chemical usage and enable operation and maintenance cost savings.
During the carefully planned shutdown, water production will be undertaken at the Kings Mills and Juas water treatment works. Annual maintenance cycles regularly require shutdowns so this isn’t unusual, but this time the shutdown will be longer, so it has been planned for a period when there is less demand for water.
Capital Delivery Manager Carl Falla said: “It’s incredibly exciting to be starting the next phase of the refurbishment to this critical piece of Guernsey’s infrastructure. This is one of the most technically complex projects that we have undertaken in recent years, being completed in the most part by our in house team. This investment places Guernsey Water in an even stronger position to meet islanders’ long term water needs.”
The gravity filters work extremely well at both Juas and Kings Mills water treatment works, with the added benefit of requiring less power and fewer chemicals than the current process, all helping to reduce our impact on the environment.
Carl Falla continued: “As a 24/7 organisation we are always looking at ways of safeguarding drinking water quality that are cost-effective and maintain the company’s firm financial foundations.
“Over the course of the works islanders should not notice any difference to the quality and availability of their water.”
The works will be back online by spring 2024, with the remainder of the refurbishment being completed by early 2025. Once complete the works will be able to supply up to 10 million litres of wholesome drinking water per day, just shy of the island’s average daily usage of 12.5 million litres.
