Oops

Star Tribune Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:56:01 GMT
A costly fix for Blaine's water treatment facility

Engineers omitted a critical power supply during design and building of the Blaine plant. A Blaine water treatment facility will undergo major repairs this month to fix damage that occurred because a critical electrical protection device was omitted during the plant's construction. Earlier this month, the Blaine City Council unanimously approved $300,000 for repairs to four filters at Water Treatment Plant No. 2. The engineering firm behind the plant, Progressive Consulting Engineers Inc., said it will fully reimburse the city for the design mistake. During design and construction of the plant, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) was omitted from a filter control panel, said Mike Ulrich, public works director for the city of Blaine. The UPS allows the plant's filters to continue to operate during a power outage and also controls the plant's backup power generator. "What turns out to be a very vital piece of equipment was omitted in design and consequently the construction," Ulrich said.

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