Canmore's New Water Treatment Plant Nearly Doubles Capacity

Canmore’s new Water Treatment Plant No. 2 can treat nearly twice as much water as the facility it replaced, according to EPCOR, which operates the town’s water system.

Located near the Canmore Nordic Centre, the plant draws water from the Rundle Forebay reservoir and can treat up to 170 litres per second, compared with the previous facility’s rated capacity of 90 litres per second, according to EPCOR.

The town uses about eight million litres of water a day on average, according to EPCOR. Plant No. 2 supplies roughly 60 per cent of that, while Plant No. 1 supplies the remaining 40 per cent from groundwater.

The additional capacity gives the system more room to accommodate demand as the community grows, EPCOR said.

The new facility officially opened in October, replacing an aging plant that could no longer meet the community's growing needs.

The project had an approved budget of $26 million. Mike Ford, the Town of Canmore’s water utility supervisor, said it remains under budget, with some final expenses still being finalized. The Town has not yet provided a final project cost.

The Town identified utility reserves, off-site levy reserves, a provincial water and wastewater grant and borrowing as funding sources.

New equipment improves treatment and safety

The replacement also brings newer treatment equipment and backup systems that allow operations to continue during maintenance or outages affecting critical equipment, according to EPCOR.

EPCOR said the treatment process includes coagulation, which helps tiny particles clump together so they can be filtered out, along with chlorine and ultraviolet disinfection to kill or deactivate harmful microorganisms.

The old plant used a similar process. EPCOR said the new one improves particle removal, uses automated filter-cleaning systems and replaces chlorine gas with liquid chlorine, which it said improves safety for workers and the surrounding community.

Canmore also draws drinking water from two sources: surface water supplied through the Rundle Forebay from the Spray Lakes Reservoir system, and groundwater treated at Plant No. 1, according to EPCOR.

“Depending on system conditions, operators can shift some water production between facilities to help maintain reliable service,” EPCOR said.