Saskatchewan’s Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant marks 70 years as major renovation continues

The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation marked the 70th anniversary of its water treatment plant last week, celebrating the supply of safe drinking water to southern Saskatchewan amidst a major renewal project. 

Local officials gathered on November 18 to unveil a commemorative anniversary plaque at the plant, which was commissioned in 1951 after extensive coordination among federal and provincial governments and the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw. The plant began producing water in September 1954, drawing its supply from Buffalo Pound Lake, a shallow reservoir on the Qu’Appelle River fed by releases from the Qu’Appelle Dam at Lake Diefenbaker.

“This is a major accomplishment! We all need to be extremely proud of the work that was done in building this plant to deliver water to nearly 25% of Saskatchewan residents,” announced Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation Board Chair Patricia Warsaba. “We also need to recognize the work of so many Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant staff over the past 70 years who worked diligently to ensure residents in Southern Saskatchewan continued to have safe, quality, reliable water.”

The plant supplies drinking water to Regina, Moose Jaw, SaskWater, Buffalo Pound Provincial Park and dozens of surrounding communities — reaching more than 300,000 people. Its service area stretches from Mortlach in the west to Sedley in the east, Briercrest in the south and Bethune to the north.

Over its lifetime, the plant has been recognized repeatedly for water quality, becoming one of the first in Canada to use granular activated carbon filtration to address algae-related taste and odour issues. The corporation credits its staff for many of the advances in water treatment made over the years.

The facility has undergone three major upgrades since it was built. In 2018, the federal and provincial governments committed $20.6 million through the Provincial–Territorial Infrastructure Component of the New Building Canada Fund to modernize electrical systems and add backup power.

A much larger renewal is now underway, aimed at extending the plant’s life by at least 25 years. The federal government is contributing more than $89.1 million to the project and the province more than $74.2 million through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation, jointly owned by Regina and Moose Jaw, will fund any remaining costs.

The renovation combines new construction with the reuse of existing structures and is considered one of the most significant investments in the plant’s history. The Buffalo Pound solar project, which began in summer 2022, uses hundreds of fixed panels that catch sunlight effectively throughout the year and are located on both sides of the approach road to the water treatment plant. The panels — four rows deep — will power the plant’s administration building and reduce the plant’s energy consumption by 10%, recouping the cost of the project within 15 years. 

“It’s exciting to be celebrating such an important milestone, while we are completing a renovation that will take this critically important facility to its 100th anniversary,” said Buffalo Pound CEO Ryan Johnson. “I want to thank both the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada for their commitment to ensuring the residents of Regina, Moose Jaw and area, will continue to receive quality, safe and reliable water for many years to come.”