The Columneetza Air Quality Station in Williams Lake will be refurbished this month.
Air quality meteorologist with the BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy, Ralph Adams says that the station was installed in or before 1994.
“It’s in sort of a construction trailer and it’s nearing the end of its’ life so we’re worried that with much more deterioration we’ll start to get leaks and things like that. So what we’re doing is we’re replacing the ATCO trailer-the construction trailer with a new metal building that was designed and built on Vancouver Island specifically for this kind of application.”
Adams says that they also plan on refurbishing most of the inside with new wiring and communication circuits.
“The instruments that are currently operating in Williams Lake, for instance, the fine particular instruments we’re using are considered the most modern state of the art equipment so the sensors themselves are already very good and updated. What this is is an upgrade of the building that the station is in and the infrastructure around those instruments.”
A 10 metre tall tower will also be added which will allow the wind instruments which are currently located at the Canadian Tire building to be moved to the same location as the air quality instruments.
The work is expected take place between October 16-October 27 in which the station will not be operational and air quality will not be available for Williams Lake.
Adams says during this time of year air quality is usually good and adds that there is a portable fine particulate monitor available for deployment if it deteriorates.
Environment Canada and the BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy will be funding all costs associated with the upgrade which Adams estimates is around $50,000.