Bringing Juas online again will improve water quality

Guernsey Water is running about two months behind the original schedule, so it is expected to be commissioned around October.

Capital delivery manager Mark Walker said the project meant refurbishment of sections throughout the site had been involved.

‘Water treatment at Juas works on a three-stage process – clarification, filtration and disinfection – with further additional processes such as chemical dosing, wash-water recovery and pumping into the distribution network adding to the essential components that will ensure the water produced is wholesome, safe and good to drink,’ he said.

‘I am really pleased with the progress we have made. While complications are expected on projects of this size and complexity, we have had very few, and those we’ve had have been fairly minor.’

He said the motor control centre panels were the final major outstanding element and were being built off-site in the UK.

‘Bringing Juas water treatment works online will improve drinking water quality through the use of ultra violet disinfection and it will give us the option of carbon dosing to deal with any seasonal taste issues,’ he said.

‘Both are tried and tested water treatment techniques.’

Last summer, the company announced it would be closing Longue Hougue water treatment works as the result of a comprehensive review of the island’s existing and future provision.

At the time it also announced that Juas, which had been used to treat water previously, would be brought back into use and save customers £10m. over the next 25 years.

Guernsey Water made £5m. of investment in treatment facilities at Longue Hougue in 2009.

It was expecting to spend £1.8m. bringing Juas back into operation and has said it is still on budget.

Juas will be more efficient because it uses conventional treatment processes, rather than membrane filters which were in place at Longue Hougue.

These required three times more power and 50% more chemicals.

The membrane also needs to be replaced every 10 years at a cost of more than £1m., compared with traditional sand filtration which needs changing only every 30 or 40 years.

n An interactive infographic outlining the key stages of the project and progress to date is available online www.water.gg/juas.