Westlock-area municipalities band together to apply for $200,000 grant
WESTLOCK – Municipalities in the Westlock area have jointly requested a provincial grant of $200,000 to help fund a regional water supply and treatment study that “will provide critical information and recommendations on models of water storage, pumping and distribution systems that will inform proactive water management strategies. ”
At their Jan. 10 meeting, councilors for the town of Westlock voted 7-0 to lead the joint application for the Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) program – councilors for Westlock County and the Village of Clyde approved the application at the end of 2021. Westlock CAO Simone Wiley said the seven-page application, which was submitted by the January 5 deadline, was completed by engineering firm MPE, which works for the commission.
Wiley said the study is the brainchild of the Westlock Regional Water Services Commission, a group made up of councilors from all municipalities, cannot apply for this grant. That said, since the commission includes representatives from all three, the joint CPA application is fine, with Wiley noting past initiatives that have been funded through the CPA.
“The commission wanted to do a project where they look at the whole water supply system,” Wiley said, noting that as the lead they will be responsible for financial reporting and monitoring of the project. “It’s a fairly complete project and our candidacy is at its maximum. And there is no matching requirement from the municipalities.
Councilman and Water Commission Chairman Curtis Snell said the study will benefit the entire region and fits well into the city’s asset management program, which lists municipal infrastructure.
“This study will help the commission and the community as a whole predict what is happening in the short, medium and long term with respect to the state of the infrastructure that serves the entire community,” Snell said. “It will help us make informed decisions.”
The briefing to council notes that the study will provide critical information and recommendations on the water storage, pumping and distribution system design that will inform proactive water management strategies.
Of the $200,000, $80,000 will be spent on engineering and assessment of water and treatment systems, $55,000 on data collection and site reviews, $50,000 on l development of the study and recommendation and $15,000 for technical stakeholder engagement and summary.
Some of the work to be carried out includes data collection and review and analysis of baseline information including water flow and quality data, plans, drawings and mapping with recommendations for ensuring a safe and adequate water supply for residents and fire protection. There will also be technical analysis to determine the viability of the water treatment process (e.g. existing conventional treatment process versus membrane treatment process), cost effectiveness and scalability.
An assessment of the condition of the original No. 1 clarifier at the treatment plant, as well as the chemical treatment systems for the feed water and the rapid mixing systems is also planned.
The ability of the existing treatment system to meet current and future drinking water limits for key water quality parameters including turbidity, organics removal, and maximum acceptable limits for trihalomethane (THM) , will be examined, as will the feasibility of a dedicated filling pipeline that directly connects the water treatment plant to the water reservoir and the central area pumping station.
Finally, the option of pumping raw water directly from the Pembina River to the water treatment plant, bypassing the townsite raw water reservoir and low pressure pump station, will also be considered. , as well as a review of the regional water supply system model and gap analysis.
George Blais, TownandCountryToday.com
Comments are closed.