The Water Treatment Plant is expanding for two reasons. The first is to continue to maintain our high water quality standard.  Secondly, Saskatoon’s population is growing.  The Plant currently produces a peak capacity of 220 million litres of drinking water per day; future expansions will increase our peak capacity to 300 million litres per day and allow for more storage in our distribution system.  These expansions and ongoing maintenance will extend the life of the Plant for future generations.  A long-term capital development plan was completed in 2009.  This plan outlined some areas for plant improvement including reservoir and clarification expansion.

To meet these future needs and improve our infrastructure, plans include the new river intake across from the Queen Elizabeth Power Plant, which will be completed in November 2011, and improvements to our chemical feed systems, which were implemented in 2011.  Now we will be expanding the Avenue H Reservoir to include new pumps and an ultraviolet disinfection (UV) system, expanding the 42nd Street Reservoir and new pump station, and installing additional clarifiers on the Avenue H site in 2015.  

The expansion of the reservoirs will allow the City to store more water, and also provide the additional capacity we will need to meet the projected water demand based on Saskatoon’s estimated 2016 population, and allow the City to maintain high water quality standards.

The existing water treatment plant produces extremely high quality drinking water, and the plant and its staff consistently produce drinking water of better quality than required by regulation.  The new UV system will further enhance the City’s ability to treat water, and will provide an additional barrier to the multi-barrier treatment process.  This additional barrier will help ensure the City’s water continues to meet evolving regulations.

Who will fund the expansions?
In addition to the City of Saskatoon, the funding parties include the Government of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan, through Infrastructure Canada’s Canada-Saskatchewan Building Canada Fund.

September 19, 2011

For more information on the Avenue H Expansion Plans, please contact
Krystyna Kotowski at 975-2568
Email:  krystyna.kotowski@saskatoon.ca