Three levels of government announced more than $222.83 million in joint program funding to support an infrastructure rejuvenation project at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant in Saskatchewan.
“Today’s investment ensures the citizens of Regina, Moose Jaw, and several other communities will have access to reliable, potable water services for years to come. This is how we build greener, healthier, more resilient communities,” stated Jim Carr, Minister and Special Representative for the Prairies.
“Investing in this facility will not only create jobs and support the local economy, it will also ensure that Buffalo Pound continues to supply safe, clean drinking water to the hundreds of thousands of Saskatchewan residents and businesses in the Regina and Moose Jaw areas for decades to come,” added Don McMorris, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Government Relations
The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant, which was commissioned in 1955, supplies potable water to more than 260,000 people living in Regina, Moose Jaw and other communities in the region, which is nearly a quarter of Saskatchewan’s population. Among other works, the renewal project will upgrade the main treatment plant, pump stations and reservoirs. It will rejuvenate this important facility to meet the needs of the region’s forecasted potable water demands in the decades ahead.
Under the Investing In Canada Infrastructure Program, the Government of Canada is investing more than $89.13 million, and indigenous consultation requirements must be met prior to the flow of funds. The Government of Saskatchewan is providing more than $74.26 million toward the project’s eligible costs. The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation, owned by the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw, is contributing more than $59.42 million under the program, and is responsible for any additional costs.
“With these upgrades and our city’s installation of the new transmission line to our High Service Reservoir, Moose Javians and surrounding communities can be assured that we will have efficient and effective delivery of safe drinking water,” said Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie. “This multimillion-dollar investment eliminates the need for major utility rate increases in the future related to upgrades to the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant.”
“The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant Renewal Project invests in the long-term viability of the facility and ensures a safe and reliable source of drinking water for all Regina residents,” added Regina Mayor Sandra Masters. “This investment will propel both population and economic growth over the next three decades.”
