G5 Water Open House Well Attended

People from all over the Central Peace attended an open house Thursday at the Centennial Center in Spirit River to learn more about the Central Peace Regional Water Supply Project.

Representatives from MPE Engineering Ltd. were on hand to answer questions as were staff from Saddle Hills County. The $40 million project is funded in part by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta and Saddle Hills County. The Central Peace Regional Water Treatment Plant is the next phase of the Central Peace Regional Water Supply project.

Saddle Hills County Councillor Willis Fitzsimmons and Haj Oshiki of  MPE Engineering Ltd.

The current phase in progress is a new water supply intake and lift station from the Peace River, by the Dunvegan Bridge, as well as approximately 36 km of new raw water pipeline to the Spirit River and Rycroft reservoirs. On July 22 the Alberta Ministry of Transportation announced the approval of a $2 million Water for Life grant application for the design of the Central Peace Regional Water Treatment Plant. The funding covers up to 90 percent of the costs of the project; two million dollars of the $2,222,222 needed.

Reeve Hubert said, “We are excited for the opportunity to be able to provide a reliable source of potable water to the residents, businesses, and industries in the Central Peace Region. This is a major step towards securing the future of our communities.”

Reeve Alvin Hubert (2nd from right) meets with citizens to discuss the water project.

The G5 Group currently relies on local water treatment plants and intermittent surface runoff water sources for their potable water needs. There are currently seven water treatment plants in the G5 region.

The primary objective behind the project is to provide the participating municipalities with a reliable, safe, and expanded water treatment system, capable of satisfying the needs of the region well into the future.

Residents asked a lot of questions about the project from Drew Fellers, of MPE Engineering Ltd. (2nd from right) and Ron Pelensky, Director of Operations for Saddle Hills County.