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Continued from page 9 “invisible” building to ensure it stays beating. “Our two pumps, run by those motors downstairs, are more than enough to handle our current levels under any conditions,” Bill says. “The diesel genera- tor comes on if the motors fail, and can power both pumps.” Continual monitoring identifies problems before they reach critical proportions, Bill explains. ‘We record the flow rate daily here at the pumping station. It can’t be too fast, or the solids will act like a Pumps move the water from the downtown pumping station, 3.4 km uphill to the six lagoons. sandblaster and corrode the pipes. The pumps come on and shut off slowly to prevent damage a sudden gush might create. “As well we track the pump’s run-time - they alternate coming on when only one’s needed. These give us early warning if maintenance is needed somewhere in the system. “There are nine alarms which warn us about failures in the generator, or gases which could seep into this building and present a hazard to the workers. Once a month, we force those alarms to sound, just to make certain they do still work.” With the system operating efficiently and effective fail safes in place, Rich points an eye to Port Perry’s future. “We work closely with the Township to anticipate its future needs. In fact, we're about to open a me- chanical waste treatment plant as a system upgrade. Normally, we plan 5-10 years ahead of the actual need.” Much of the town’s current waste water system lies underground, both literally and figuratively. Only occasionally — most notably in the form of a forget- table red-brick building close to our waterfront - do the workings of this important town service make themselves visible. But in this case, “unnoticed by the average citizen” is a good thing, a goal Rich Tindall and Bill Bridge pursue with all their energy, every day of their working lives. By Scott Mercer Focus on Scugog Rich Tindall, Manager of Engineering Planning and Studies, left, and Chief Buia | Operator Bill Bridge, in front front of the large diesel engine on the main level, which provides standby power in case of an electrical interruptio1 10 FOCUS - OCTOBER 2014 yy J. Peter Hvidsten