With Water Wednesday, the City of Lethbridge wants you to know a little bit about the water you drink and use daily.
The Oldman River provides the City its water. An intricate process at the Water Treatment Plant ensures our drinking water is safe. Lethbridge drinking water, “consistently exceeds regulated provincial and federal requirements.”
On the flip side, the City must also clean wastewater before it re-enters the Oldman River south of Peenaquim Park. The Wastewater Treatment Plant recycles water through its E-water system (effluent water). Treated water is pumped back into the plant to use for washing, rinsing and cleaning applications. This helps reduce the amount of potable water consumed at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Did you know every year, 6,000 dry tonnes of nutrient-rich wastewater sludge is used to improve crop yields on southern Alberta farmland?
The two treatment plants in Lethbridge service more than 133,000 southern Albertans, across 10 municipalities. “As our city grows, the demand increases. Population and business growth are two reasons why we’re seeing increased pressure on the City’s water and wastewater infrastructure. Other reasons include growth in regional and industrial demands,” says the City.
“To ensure we keep up with demand, City Council has been working hard to advocate for the necessary upgrades to both treatment plants,” the City adds.