Regina South Pipeline Public Utility Board

The initial connection was originally thought to be made to the 900 mm steel supply main west of Albert St.  The plans currently show the connection to be made to the supply main east of Albert Street adjacent to Richardson Park.  This connection point is within 100 meters of a 300 mm PVC feeder main connected to the steel supply main just south of Richardson Park in 2001.   The 100 mm poly supply pipeline could be hot tapped to the PVC main at a fraction of the cost of the hot tap to the steel supply main and would be preferable to the City of Regina.

Water Supply

Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant

The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant, constructed in 1954, provides safe, high quality drinking water to the cities of Regina, Moose Jaw and several smaller surrounding communities.

The plant has undergone three major capacity and process improvements since its original construction and is presently among the most advanced water treatment facilities on the continent. The plant was one of the pioneers in the use of the GAC (granular activated carbon) filtration process for the removal of algae-produced taste and odour.

The City of Regina used an average of 73.8 million litres of treated water each day in 2004.

City of Regina Water Supply

The City of Regina is fortunate to have two independent sources of water supply available to it.

• The primary source of supply is Buffalo Pound Lake. This water is treated and delivered to Regina from the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant. For a large majority of the year all water supplied to the city comes from Buffalo Pound.
  
  
• The secondary source of water, which is used as sparingly as possible, comes from many large wells around the city. During periods of high water demand in summer months, the Buffalo Pound supply is supplemented with water from the wells. During those periods, the water from the two sources is mixed together in large reservoirs before it is delivered to customers. This ensures all customers receive the same quality of water regardless of their location in the city. The practice of pumping well water directly to some areas of the city was discontinued in 1992.
  
  
• The water delivered from the wells is perfectly safe to drink after it has been chlorinated, but is very "hard" and contains high levels of naturally occurring dissolved minerals such as iron and manganese. These minerals are not harmful but can cause discolouration of the water.
  
  
• Water is delivered from the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant to the City of Regina through a 57 kilometre long, 900mm (36-inch) diameter steel pipeline.
  
  
• A second larger pipeline is being constructed in phases between the water treatment plant and the City. The final 19 kilometres of this pipeline and the attendant changes to the main supply pumps are scheduled for completion in late 2004. When this work is completed it will provide the following benefits:
  • Supply security in the event of problems on the original pipeline.
  • Increase in the maximum amount of water the plant can deliver to the City.
  • Elimination of the need to supplement Buffalo Pound water supply with well water.
  • Reduction in discoloured water problems.
  • Reduction of salt use in water softeners due to the reduction in use of the hard water from wells.

City of Regina Water Distribution System

• Regina has approximately 860 kilometres of water mains within the city limits. These mains vary in size from 100mm (4inch) to 1050mm (42 inch).
  
  
• Regina has five treated water storage reservoirs situated around the city. These reservoirs hold a total of about 160 million litres of water. Reservoirs are used to maintain water supply during times of high demand, to provide water supply during a power failure or other emergencies, and to provide additional water for fire fighting.
  
  
• Regina has three pumping stations to pressurize and deliver water through the water mains to its customers. These stations deliver water continuously even during power failures.

2005 Water Quality Data

Water quality data presented below has been compiled from the results of laboratory testing done throughout 2005. Water samples for all parameters except chlorine were taken at the two main pumping stations which supply the water distribution system.

Values are given in milligrams per litre (mg/l) which is equivalent to parts per million (ppm). Hardness value in brackets is grains per imperial gallon (gpg). Symbol "<" means "less than".

Chlorine Levels

The City of Regina operates its water system under provincial government legislation called the "Water Regulations 2002". One of the many requirements of this legislation is that prescribed minimum levels (residuals) of chlorine must be continuously maintained throughout the entire water distribution system. These levels of chlorine ensure that the water is bacterially disinfected which makes it much safer for human consumption.

When chlorine is added to water it reacts to form two types of powerful disinfectants. These are known as "free residual chlorine" and "total residual chlorine". The Water Regulations stipulate that a minimum of either 0.10 mg/l of free residual or 0.50mg/l of total residual must be maintained continuously. Any breach of these requirements must be immediately reported to Saskatchewan Environment (SE).

Chlorine residuals are continuously monitored at four separate locations. Chlorine residuals are also measured weekly at fifteen other widely separated locations around the distribution system. Values shown are the averages of all tests conducted through the year.

Bacteriological Tests

Saskatchewan Environment (SE) requires the City of Regina to take and submit at least 15 water samples per week for a total of 780 per year for bacteriological testing. Testing is done by the Provincial Water Laboratory in Regina. A 'positive' test is one which detects the presence of either any coliform bacteria or background bacteria in excess of 200 colonies per 100 millilitres. A positive test result requires an immediate re-sample. A 'negative' test result is one in which there is no coliform bacteria at all and if any background bacteria are present there are less than 200 colonies per 100ml.

Summary of Bacteriological Testing for 2005

Use of Well Water

In 2005 the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant supplied 100% of the water used by the City of Regina. No well water was supplied to the water system in 2005.

During periods of normal water demand, which is typically September through May, Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant supplies all water used in the City. However, during the summer months water demand in the City may periodically exceed the supply capability from Buffalo Pound. Well water is used to supplement that supply on those occasions.

If very high water demand persists for an extended period of time the proportion of well water used to supplement the supply from Buffalo Pound may reach as high as 25%. This proportion is reduced as water demand subsides. Water delivered from the wells is mixed with water from Buffalo Pound in the City storage reservoirs before it is delivered to the distribution system. This is done to ensure that all customers receive the same quality of water regardless of where they are located in the City. The practice of pumping well water directly into the distribution system at various locations was permanently discontinued in 1992.

If more detailed water quality information is required or if you have any questions regarding the information presented, please contact either the City at (306) 777-7000 or the Water Engineering Division of the Engineering and Works Department at 777-7711 or 777-7819 or 777-7450.

While the vast majority of Saskatchewan people have access to safe drinking water, some communities have problems with their water quality. Others have water supply problems. And either quality or supply problems can have costly implications.

The amount people in Saskatchewan pay for their water varies. Some Saskatchewan residents are charged nothing for drinking water because it is built into their tax system. For those communities that charge water rates, the price varies from about $2.50 per month to well over $80 per month (based on an average provincial consumption of 7,000 gallons per household per month). While communities fortunate enough to have good supplies of quality water typically pay less, other communities with poor water supplies or poor quality water requiring costly treatment pay more. Many communities do not include the cost of long-term upgrades or replacement of their water treatment systems. As a result, the price that many consumers pay for water does not reflect its true cost.

A community's waterworks will not be sustainable unless the rates charged include the full cost of water treatment and the need to put money aside for maintenance and upgrading of the treatment plants.

http://www.regina.ca/pdfs/BP_annual_report_2005.pdf