WRC launches first phase of regional water project

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

The Wheatland Regional Corporation (WRC) is inching closer to a centralized water treatment system through the avowed multi-million-dollar financial injection from the provincial government to launch the first phase in supplying Gleichen and Rosebud with water system upgrades.
The first phase of the $51 million potable regional water supply line project, which aims to provide Standard, Rockyford, Hussar, Gleichen and Rosebud with a cost-effective and reliable solution to their deteriorating infrastructure problems, is estimated at $22 million.
With the Alberta government’s approval of the project in its entirety, $20 million, or roughly 90 per cent, of the first phase will be dispersed over five years as part of the Water for Life program.
The funds will include the construction of an advanced water reservoir, pipeline from the reservoir to the treatment plant, and pipeline from the treatment plant at the village of Standard to the hamlet of Gleichen.
“We’ve been at this for years … and the province came back to us and asked us to prioritize the project and so we knew that we needed new raw water reservoirs south of Standard and we knew the people in Gleichen have needed a different source of water for a very long time,” said Darcy Burke, Chairman of the WRC and mayor or Rockyford.
“Our plant does not currently meet the Alberta Environment guidelines for water treatment plants. So when we had the discussions with Wheatland County and their partners at the table, Rockyford had to make the decision. To be a part of this project we had to recognize the significance of our partners. At that point in time, we recognized that the people in Gleichen, their water is at a point where they can’t drink it.”
Wheatland County and the villages of Rockyford, Standard, and Hussar originally established the Wheatland Regional Water Partnership (WRWP) to explore possible solutions to the regional water issues. Consequently, the partnership created the Wheatland Regional Corporation, made up of four members, that is currently under review by Alberta Municipal Affairs.
The Wheatland Regional Corporation feels that the regional water supply line project will be more economical for ratepayers, by providing water to the east Wheatland area through a single water source delivered by the Western Irrigation District, instead of multiple plants.
“Sharing the cost of the treatment is basically going to bring the advantage of less cost to treat the water and more secure water to these communities, because it’s coming from one single source and the quality and quantity of the water will be controlled,” said Baha Hasasneh, general manager of WRC.
“The plants in these communities are a bit old so they need to be upgraded to the latest technology and to have a more reliable treatment. That’s why I think Alberta Environment and the government in general, were pushing for a more centralized treatment system. The government was pushing for a central location so at least it’s better controlled and less cost for everyone.”
Alberta Transportation and the Wheatland Regional Corporation signed an agreement in December 2015, and the government already allocated $450,000 as part of the first phase cash injection.
Wheatland County Reeve Glenn Koester and Wheatland County Councillor Rex Harwood, who are both members of the corporation, also expressed their approval for the project and its significance in the area, in a recent statement.
The new regional facility and potable water supply line to Gleichen includes a new raw water intake and two raw water reservoirs, a raw water pump station, a raw water pipeline, a water treatment plant and potable water pump station, and potable water supply pipelines. The construction is expected to commence in 2016.
“This is a huge project,” said Burke. “It’s not very often we see a $50 million project in Wheatland County. We’re very happy to be a part of that project and we know that we’re going to be providing a basic necessity of life to the ratepayers of these municipalities for a long time.”