The Shirley McClellan Regional Water Services Commission (SMRWSC) received Water for Life grant funding on Monday, May 29.
Approved for funding are a waterline to bring water to the Summer Village of White Sands for a Reservoir/Truck Fill Station, and a regional waterline to bring water to the Hamlet of Brownfield for a Reservoir/Truck Fill Station, with funding equaling $3,642,390.
“We are extremely thankful to be receiving this funding enabling us to now provide clean, safe drinking water to the Hamlet of Brownfield and to the Summer Village of White Sands,” said Pat Gorcak, Chairperson for SMRWSC. “Our commission is another step closer to realizing our goal of providing clean safe water to members of its commission.”
The Government of Alberta announced that they will be funding critical water projects across Alberta as part of the ongoing commitment to provide clean drinking water and wastewater treatment to rural Albertans.
More than $131 million from the Water for Life and the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership grant programs will support 29 water infrastructure projects across the province.
Included in those projects are two through SMRWSC, which is administered by the County of Stettler.
The Water for Life grant provides 90-10 funding, with the province paying 90 per cent of the project cost and SMRWSC covering 10 per cent of the project cost.
County of Stettler Reeve Wayne Nixon said that he thought it was certainly a step in the right direction.
“It’s great and very positive news for the two communities, White Sands and Brownfield,” Nixon added. “I believe the line would run from Stettler and tie on to the one that goes to Donalda.”
According to Nixon, community partners will be sending in tenders and since this is a government grant, the lowest bidder would be getting the project.
“It’s a joint decision that’s made by all the 14 partners in the Shirley McClellan Regional Water Services Commission,” Nixon said.
The SMRWSC consists of 14 municipalities – County of Stettler No. 6, County of Paintearth, Special Areas Board, Town of Castor, Town of Coronation, Village of Bawlf, Village of Big Valley, Village of Consort, Village of Donalda, Village of Halkirk, Village of Rosalind, Village of Veteran, Summer Village of Rochon Sands, Summer Village of White Sands – whose objective is to supply potable water to its member communities.
Through the Government of Alberta’s Water for Life Strategy, the SMRWSC was first able to complete Phase 1, a 142-km pipeline taking potable water to the communities of Halkirk, Castor, Veteran, Coronation and Consort as well as the counties of Paintearth, Stettler and Special Areas 2, 3 and 4.
Phase 2 took water from Stettler to Big Valley, and Phase 3 was a waterline from Stettler to Donalda, both being completed in 2014.