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Cameras to keep eye on Pitt pumps

Cameras will soon be installed at two pump stations in Pitt Meadows, allowing city staff to keep eye on the machines 24 hours a day.

City operations superintendent Randy Evans said the cameras on pump stations at Fenton and McKechnie roads will save staff time.

The public works department currently monitors the systems remotely and receives alerts when pumps aren’t working or water levels are high.

“Currently, we can see a snapshot of what’s going on, but cannot physically look at it,” Evans explained.

“With the cameras, if we have a problem and we’re not exactly sure, we can check the footage and send someone to have a look, if necessary.”

The cameras will also allow staff to keep an eye on the pump stations off site and on weekends, perhaps even via smart-phones.

The Fenton and McKechnie stations were selected because they often get clogged with weeds like millfoil.

They are also critical stations that pump water out of low-lying areas in the Pitt Polder.

If something goes wrong with either of them, Evans said, the city doesn’t have a lot of time to react before flooding begins.

“If the pump isn’t corrected quickly, we can have flooding and it’s very difficult to recover from that,” he added.

Evans hopes the cameras will be installed by the end of spring or early summer.

The city’s drainage utility fund will cover the costs to install them.