Barnwell buys new compressor

By Greg Price
Taber Times
gprice@tabertimes.com

Barnwell council has voted unanimously to purchase a new compressor for the water treatment plant, after one of the village’s broke down in mid-December.

“We’ve been having troubles with one of our two compressors. We run the skids, the filters, and so without the compressors we are dead in the water, we can’t make (treated) water,” said Don McCrae, public works foreman for the Village of Barnwell, in opening discussion on the need for a new compressor at the village’s council meeting on Dec. 12. “One has been giving us trouble for at least a year. We just had it serviced in November and Sunday night it quit on us. We can run with one compressor right now, but it’s not ideal.”

McCrae noted the compressor in question is past its life expectancy. Hagen Electric has come in for the last couple of years in servicing the village’s pumps and compressors, with the tech saying the compressor was on its last legs.

“The life of these compressors is about 10 years with 15,000 to 20,000 hours (of service). We got about 17,000 hours out of it. It’s 12 years old,” said McCrae. “All the people I’ve talked to said they would not rebuild it for the price.”

McCrae got quotes for a new compressor and a rebuild, where with the cost of a rebuild being relatively close to a new one, council agreed new was the way to go.

“I think the difference to start with is over two-thirds of the cost (of new in the quote). It’s over 70 per cent of the cost. Also, you don’t have much warranty,” said Barnwell councillor Kent Bullock.

Barnwell council voted unanimously to purchase a new compressor for $9,000.