Lloydminster and North Battleford will be on the receiving end of funding from the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan for water and wastewater projects.
North Battleford is eligible to receive $13.6 million in order to upgrade the sanitary sewer system, improving operations and reducing flood risk. In the Lloydminster area, Saskwater is eligible for just over $12.2 million to go towards the Prairie North Regional Potable Water Supply System. Manager of Corporate Communications for Saskwater Courtney Mihalicz says the new water supply system will service residents east of Lloydminster.
“We’ve have been working with the RM’s and communities in that area for some time now talking about a potential for a system like this and how regional systems can be a benefit. We’re super thrilled to receive grant funding because it really makes a project like this possible.”
Through the New Building Canada Fund, the federal and provincial government will each be contributing a combined two-thirds of the cost towards the projects while Saskwater and the City of North Battleford cover the rest.
In Lloydminster, construction will begin on 31 kilometres of pipeline from the city to RMs to transfer potable water to the East. Mihalicz says the grant funding will give the project a boost moving forward into further phases.
“The project is currently in that conceptual design phase. We’re still working through some details on where that pipeline would run, conversations with the potential customers along the route, as well as with the City of Lloydminster.”
Yesterday, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Honourable Ralph Goodale announced the funding for eight new water and wastewater projects in Saskatchewan.
North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater labelled yesterday as an exciting day for the city with the announcement of approved government funding for sanitary sewer trunk upgrades. 6 kilometres of the storm and sanitary main lines that connect to the cities wastewater treatment plant will be replaced.
“Right now during wet times, we’re at full capacity. We have flooding in our city, sewer backups, our city can’t grow bigger than it currently is. This upgrade will deal with flood mitigation now, it will deal with sewer back up now, and it will allow our city to grow.”
Bater adds that the large project wouldn’t be possible without assistance from the government due to the size of the city.
The federal and provincial governments are each contributing up to just over $27 million for the eight projects through the New Building Canada Fund, which includes Yorkton, Melfort, Martensville, Maple Creek, Kindersley and Blaine lake.