Scatchet Head

Facility Tour

MAY 27, 2022
COMMISSIONER JILL LIPOTI LED A TOUR GROUP OF THE SCATCHET HEAD WATER FACILITY WITH STOPS AT THE PUMP HOUSE ON GEORGE DR., THE TREATMENT FACILITY ON GUEMES AND THE WATER RESERVOIR ON COTTAGE GLEN

FIRST STOP: PUMP HOUSE ON GEORGE DRIVE

The pump house on George Drive is where wells 2 and 3 are located. The water from the two wells is blended and sent up the hill to the treatment facility on Guemes Avenue. Unfortunately, there is no generator at the pump house, so if power is lost, there is no water being pumped from the aquifer. Wells 2 and 3 are at the pump house on George Drive. Well 1 was located on Driftwood Drive, but has been decommissioned. Well 2 is 295 feet deep and was put in service in 1980. Well 3 is 403 feet deep and was put in service in 1995.

SECOND STOP: GUEMES AVENUE RESERVOIR

The Guemes Avenue Reservoir is 85 feet tall and has a capacity of 300,000 gallons. The Guemes Avenue Treatment plant has 4 booster pumps. Within the Guemes Avenue Treatment plant there are 4 filters. Chlorine is added to the raw water so that it precipitates the iron and manganese which occur naturally in the aquifer. Then the filters remove the oxidized iron and manganese. The finished water has another addition of Chlorine to kill any pathogens.

Having the Chlorine treatment next to the iron pipes has caused corrosion over the years. These pipes need to be replaced. Relocating the Chlorine treatment to another room would increase the useful life of iron pipes. The treatment facility has a generator which operates when our power goes out. The filters need to be backwashed periodically. The backwash water goes to a small pond next to the treatment facility. The water is pumped from the pond and is sprayed on trees on the site.

THIRD STOP: RESERVOIR AT COTTAGE GLEN

The reservoir at Cottage Glen is fed by gravity from the Guemes Avenue reservoir. It is 95 feet tall and holds 120,000 gallons. There is a small recirculating pump in a shed next to the tall tank.