Sun Peaks Utilities are keeping busy as they prepare for another busy winter season.
Pat Miller, director of Sun Peaks Utilities, said there were a number of things left to do to get Sun Peaks in top shape to handle the sharp increase in residents and visitors in the coming months.
Maintenance and an audit of the water plant are at the top of the list. As well as cleaning and replacing water filters, the utility has to ensure they have a stockpile of spare parts.
“Our busiest time is from Christmas to New Years, when all our suppliers are closed,” Miller said.
Maintenance and marking of gas valves around Sun Peaks is an important task for the utility.
“We make sure that all the gas valves are marked, in case of a break in a gas line or if we have to shut a portion of the line down. You can’t dig those lines easily in winter, with frozen ground, because it can cause damage to the piping infrastructure. So we have a number of valves throughout the resort and they’re all marked and kept clear throughout winter.”
Bringing Sun Peaks’ wastewater treatment plant into full operation is next on the list.
“During the summer, we only have part of the plant online, because it’s a modular system,” Miller said. “In summer, we only treat around 500 to 600 cubic metres of wastewater each day, and in shoulder-season, 250 to 350 cubic metres.
“We have to get that process geared up and ready to go by Dec. 15, which is when more people are here and the flows are higher to the wastewater treatment plant.”
On top of all this, Sun Peaks Utilities will also spend time winterizing almost 100 fire hydrants throughout the village, ensuring they don’t freeze over and are ready for use in an emergency.
“While winter is definitely our busiest time for operations, summer and fall are still busy from a maintenance point of view.”
What did you think of this story?
Your feedback after we publish a story helps ensure we're always improving our reporting to better serve you.
