City Draining Ellis Reservoir for Regular Inspection

The Ellis Reservoir, the main water reservoir for the City of Greater Sudbury, is due for a regular scheduled inspection. Work will be completed in several stages, beginning this week.

In order to perform the inspection, the water from the reservoir will be drained over the next few weeks.

The reservoir is made up of two separate tanks, and the first stage involves draining the first tank by stopping the flow and letting the water drain into the water distribution system. Once that is finished, the drain valve will be opened and the remainder of the water will flow into the storm collection system.

Residents may notice the draining water flowing down the reservoir access road and then travelling along Lonsdale Avenue, Howey Drive, under the railroad tracks and eventually into Ramsey Lake. In order to protect the environment, the water will be dechlorinated as it drains from the reservoir, and the fluoride injection system will be turned off. The City has notified all federal, provincial and Public Health officials of the procedure.

The water in the second tank, along with the capacity of both the David Street and the Wanapitae water treatment facilities, will ensure sufficient water volume and flow during the maintenance period, even in the event of an emergency such as a fire or watermain break.

Once the work on the first tank is complete, it will be brought back online and the same process will be repeated for the second tank. The work on the second tank is tentatively scheduled to begin on August 14.

Sudbury residents may notice pressure fluctuations or discoloured water during this process. Residents with discoloured water should slowly run a cold water tap near their water meter for a few minutes until water is clear of sediment. For prolonged water discolouration issues, call 311.