The City of Saskatoon is planning ahead for a projected population of 500,000 people and part of that is the drinking water capacity. The Water Treatment Long Term Capital Strategy, which includes the possibility of a second Water Treatment Plant, will be presented to the Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services Committee meeting on Monday.

Interim Director of Saskatoon Water, Pamela Hamoline explains that the current Water Treatment Plant is 116 years old. She calls it a work horse that has had upgrades and has reached its expansion limit. It can treat 250-million litres of water per day, but with a second plant added, the capacity would be 450-million litres. The second plant would work in tandem with the original one, and then if maintenance is needed, there is always one plant still running.

Hamoline says the next steps are to develop and execute an Engagement Plan that focuses on the surrounding community and regional partners, and to look for opportunities and partnerships with Federal and Provincial funding programs.