Saskatchewan Landing Regional Water Supply Project, Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Landing Regional Water Supply project serves the Saskatchewan province in Canada. Image courtesy of TUBS.

The Saskatchewan Landing Regional Water Supply project supplies potable water to people in west-central Saskatchewan region. Image courtesy of Alex Anlicker.

The Saskatchewan Landing Regional Water Supply project included the installation of a 42km-long main water pipeline. Image courtesy of Bidgee.

The Saskatchewan Landing Regional Water Pipeline Utility (SLRWPU) officially commissioned the Saskatchewan Landing Regional Water Supply project in Saskatchewan Province, Canada, in June 2015.

The project, which is aimed at supplying safe, quality drinking water to west-central Saskatchewan region, primarily included the construction of a 42km-long main water pipeline, two water treatment plants (WTPs), installation of 700km of connecting lateral rural water pipelines to connect rural areas in the region, and upgrade of certain existing facilities.

The water supply system delivers safe drinking water to approximately 2,500 people in the village of Wiseton, the towns of Kyle and Elrose, the rural municipalities (RMs) of Lacadena, King George, Milden, Snipe Lake, Monet and St Andrews, and Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park.

Saskatchewan water supply project purpose and background

The SLRWPU is a legal entity formed under the Municipalities Act in April 2007, through a joint agreement signed between the rural municipalities of Monet and Lacadena, and the towns of Elrose and Kyle.

The SLRWPU initiated the large-scale water infrastructure project in anticipation of the future water demands of the people in these regions.

The existing residential total design average day water demand of 2,685m³/day and peak day demand of 4,395m³/day in the Kyle area and Elrose Rosetown are estimated to increase to 3,222m³/day and 5,274m³/day respectively by 2027. Agricultural, industrial and commercial water demands are also anticipated to be 1,000m³/day by 2027.

Landing Regional Water Supply Project details

The main water pipeline in Kyle and Elrose Rosetown is constructed parallel to the Highway 4 corridor, stretching from north of Rosetown to the Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park in Kyle. It comprises a two-part regional drinking water pipeline system, of which one part supplies water to the Elrose Rosetown Area Sub Region in the north, and the other to the Kyle Area Sub Region in the south.

The Elrose Rosetown portion is being fed by the Tyner Valley Aquifer, whereas the Kyle Aquifer feeds the Kyle sub-region. The water supply system in the Kyle area features two new groundwater production wells and three existing wells, with a total design average day demands of approximately 940m³/day, for a total design average day and peak day withdrawal of 940m³/day and 1,370m³/day, respectively.

A water treatment plant, known as South plant, and a 31km-long transmission main pipeline were built east of Kyle Town. The WTP includes two greens and filters and disinfection facilities with average day and peak day water treatment capacities of 940m³/day and 1,370m³/day respectively.

The project also involved the installation of 20km of new water supply lines to Kyle, and areas in the north and south of Kyle, and the construction of a 1,300m³ enclosed storage reservoir.

The water supply system in Elrose Rosetown features three new groundwater wells and two existing wells with total current design average day and peak day demand withdrawals capacities of 1,744m³/day and 3,024m³/day respectively. It also has a new 11km-long pipeline connecting a new WTP named the North plant with Elrose Town and a 320m³ water storage reservoir.

A water storage facility was also built to feed a truckfill station in the RM of Monet to serve as a backup facility and also provide water access to residents not connected to the lateral water pipelines.

Financing for the Saskatchewan water supply facility

The mainline portion of the pipeline was funded through the former Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, in which the Canadian Government and the SLRWPU contributed $10.19m each.

The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan also invested $8.06m through the Communities Component of the former Building Canada Fund (BCF-CC) for the lateral rural water pipelines component, and the water storage and truckfill system in Elrose.

The RM of Monet provided $321,000 for its portion of the project, while Wiseton provided $17,661 from its federal gas tax fund. The Canadian Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport also provided $633,000 towards the Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park portion of the project.