One of the plant's design drawings. (Submitted photo/Associated Engineering)

By Nigel Maxwell

Infrastructure needs

Engineering Designs awarded for proposed new Water Treatment Plant

Nov 19, 2021 | 12:00 PM

A proposed new water treatment plant west of Prince Albert has cleared another hurdle.

The Prince Albert Rural Water Utility (PARWU) board has agreed to award the Pre-Design and Detail Design to Associated Engineering (AE).

“The specifics provided in the proposal details, experience, project team, pricing, and scheduling all fell in perfect alignment with PARWU’s board expectations,” Brent Miller, professional engineer and the Steering Committee chair, said in a statement.

Scott Miller, AE project manager, expressed the company’s excitement to join the Prince Albert Regional Water Utility (PARWU) team in providing our services for design of a proposed new water treatment plant situated along the North Saskatchewan River.

“We understand the importance of this project ultimately in supplying safe and reliable potable water to PARWU customers including a proposed expanded regional network,” he said. “Through our Saskatoon and Prince Albert offices, our work will begin with site investigation, water quality sampling and survey to be followed by pre-design level development in the spring and summer of 2022.”

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The timelines so far

In January of this year the Town of Shellbrook and Rural Municipality of Shellbrook formed a steering committee with the Prince Albert Regional Water Utility (PARWU) to have a feasibility study completed on the building of a water treatment plant and fresh water line to the Town of Shellbrook.

While the initial cost of the project was estimated to be in the area of $45 million, a preliminary study done by a Saskatoon consulting firm found a price tag of $52 million was more realistic.

In July, a parcel of land west of Prince Albert was purchased at a cost of $900,000. The site, roughly 25 acres, is located off Peter Pond Road, and is north of the North Saskatchewan River. Miller explained the property is in an ideal location, as it is near a location in the river that has less sediment and clearer water which will ultimately help in reducing the cost to treat the water.

In mid-September 2021, project manager and professional engineer Steve Irving issued a request for proposals (RFP) for Process Treatment Pre-Design, Detailed Design, and River Water Sampling Analysis. Each proposal was to include a 2-phase approach.

Phase I was to include an evaluation of the water treatment process, geotechnical investigations, water sampling, and predesign of the water treatment plant. Phase II utilizes the pre-design as a basis and completes the detailed engineering design. Miller explained the advantage of having two phases.

“It takes us far enough with phase one where we could reduce the uncertainty of the estimate and have a really good idea how much it’s going to cost and that gives us a pause point where we can make a decision as a board whether or not we want to continue,” he said.

Phase II would get designs to the point where project is construction ready and they can proceed to tender.

Miller also explained as the planning and engineering continues to move full steam there will be more public engagement from PARWU, adding a request for engineering proposals on the pipeline sideline of the project is expected to go out in the next 30 days.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell