Concrete Work at WWTP
Three new aeration blowers were recently purchased to replace the aging blowers at our WWTP. The blowers are a vital part of the WWTP system that allows air to be forced through the sewage which creates aerobic digestion that helps break it down. Before the new blowers can be installed, new concrete pads had to be formed to place them upon. Two of the old blowers were removed, and crews then demolished the old concrete pads that they sat upon. Once the pads were removed wood & rebar was used to create the concrete forms for the new pads. Crews assisted Jordahl with pouring the concrete, and finished the surface of the concrete. Once these two blowers are installed, the last old blower will be removed, and a concrete pad will be formed for the last blower to be placed upon.
Landscaping Along Waterfront
Crews continued to focus on landscaping along our waterfront areas to prepare for the busy summer season. The large amount of rain we saw this past winter has promoted vegetation growth, which is good, but also created a lot of excessive growth that needs to trimmed and/or removed. This work will continue throughout the month as part of our beautification process for the City, and fulfill our weed abatement needs in certain areas.
206 E. Whittley Work
Work continued this week at our 206 E. Whittley property. A cleanout for our new sewer lateral had to be relocated due the position of the water meter SCE installed. A portion of the lateral had to be dug out to properly relocate the cleanout pipe. Once this was done all of the trenching was finally backfilled with dirt & sand. The pavers were then reinstalled in the street area. Our major sewer & saltwater piping is now complete for this property. Further updates on the overall renovation project to be provided in future updates.
Harbor Maintenance Update
You can tell it is getting closer to summer from a couple tasks our Harbor Maintenance crews worked on this week. Crews installed the swim lines along our beach areas to protect swimmers as we see more boats occupy the harbor. They also helped Avalon Mooring Service position the end float at the Green Pier. The float and ramps were then installed by our crew. Other tasks to be done over the coming weeks to prepare for summer will be installing the dinghy docks between the Yacht & Tuna Clubs, and at the Barbara Pearson dock.
Emergency WWTP Electrical Repairs
The WWTP experienced two major electrical issues over the past couple weeks that required an immediate response. The first issue that occurred was the failure of the generator that provides the backup power supply to the WWTP during a power outage. The unit is past its useful life, and would no longer function property. It could not be repaired, so a portable generator had to be rented & brought over from the mainland. Jon Gilbert was crucial in installing the portable generator so that it could work properly with our existing electrical system at the plant. We will likely obtain a used portable generator to replace the rental as we shop for a permanent replacement. The used portable generator can then be used for other projects & emergencies as they come up.
The second issue that occurred related to the Catherine sewage lift station. An issue with the main electrical panel for the pumps caused both pumps to fail, and could not be powered back up. As the lift station wet well began to fill up all crews were asked to report to the site to prepare for a potential sewage overflow. Our vacuum truck, and portable pump system, were brought to the site. Jon Gilbert was able to immediately diagnose & repair the issue, and regain power to both pumps. This was fortunate as we would have likely had a sewage overflow within five minutes of the repair. We used this experience to our advantage as it basically created a drill for our crews on how to deal with a potential sewage overflow.