Delayed water treatment changes could mean more swampy water in Regina

Article content

Upgrades to the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant are five months behind schedule and could mean another spring of swampy drinking water in Regina and Moose Jaw, warns an update on the project.

The plant, which is located near Moose Jaw and supplies water to both cities, began an extensive renewal project in 2022 to upgrade its treatment systems for the first time since the 1980s.

Article content

Originally scheduled to finish by the end of 2025, unexpected delays in manufacturer and equipment deliveries have pushed the timeline back to spring 2026, said an annual report presented to council Wednesday.

“It’s not unusual for large projects to have delays, especially coming out of post-COVID,” said Ryan Johnson, CEO and president of the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation, in an interview Friday.

All upgrades are expected to be complete by March of next year with no disruptions to water services, though Johnson told city council that any additional delays could mean another spring of swampy tasting water for residents.

Buffalo Pound Lake is susceptible to blue-green algae blooms, which is the source of the unpleasant aftertaste. New ozonation systems are being installed to help mitigate the taste and odour.

While the upgrades are expected to be online ahead of peak blue-green algae season in April, Johnson said any changes to that timeline could mean the systems aren’t quite ready in time.

“Contractors still believe they can get the work done on time, but I would rather just make sure people are aware, in case there’s other delays that are outside of our control,” Johnson said.

Article content

Article content

The renewal project is now 75-per-cent complete, with $253 million of the project’s $325-million budget spent so far. The City of Regina, City of Moose Jaw and the provincial and federal governments are all providing funding.

Nearly all areas of the facility are being upgraded or renovated, including the clarification, treatment and filtration systems, pumps and lagoons, plus the construction of a new administration building. Once completed, the project is expected to extend the plant’s lifespan to 2050.

Adding fluoride into Regina’s treatment process, approved by city council in 2021, will take place after the upgrades are complete as a separate contract. Moose Jaw already has a fluoridation program in its portion of the Buffalo Pound plant.

Fluoridation is endorsed by more than 90 professional health organizations worldwide, including the Saskatchewan Public Health Association and Canadian Pediatric Society, as a preventative measure against tooth decay.

The City of Regina has held four referendums on fluoridation since 1954, the most recent in 1985, when residents voted against the treatment.

Article content

[email protected]

The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.

With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark leaderpost.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.

Article content