Newest water treatment facility now operational

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/05/2016 (3603 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Headingley water treatment facility — the newest plant in the Cartier Regional Water Co-operative — is now operational. In its entirety, the Cartier Regional Water Co-operative services a population of over 10,000 people.

This newest facility serves the rural municipalities of Headingley, St François Xavier and Rosser. An additional reservoir that will service the needs of CentrePort is scheduled to open this summer.

The Cartier Regional Water Co-operative includes nine rural reservoirs located in the seven rural municipalities that make up the Co-op. They are: Cartier, Grey, Headingley, Portage la Prairie, Rockwood, Rosser and St. Francois Xavier.

If you’re like me, you know that we all count on drinking good clean water but I had no idea what really goes into ensuring that.

So I spoke with Danielle Vaillant, manager of the  Cartier Regional Water Co-operative.
When asked what a day in the life of a worker at the water plant looks like, Vaillant said: “The staff of five starts the day with testing and readings of all the plant levels. Process changes are done as required. It doesn’t stop there. The plant is monitored 24-7.

“In addition to the onsite ongoing checks, values are also checked remotely. This newest plant is the most state-of-the-art plant in rural municipalities and uses membrane technology, ultra filtration and reverse osmosis to ensure water quality.

“The source of the water is the Assiniboine River. It was designed with future sustainability top of mind.”  

How much water actually flows through this system?  

“Usually the output is around 80 litres per second as a starting flow for the Headingley and Rosser area. When there is a peak capacity demand the flow could be as high as 150 litres per second,” Vaillant says.

How does one become a specialized water technician?  Vaillant explained that she first graduated with a degree in chemistry and bioscience  at Red River College then completed her specialty in water management. She is a Level 4 operator.

There is no downtime in these types of plants. This newest plant has been designed so that maintenance can be done as required and yet keep the plant operational. It’s reassuring to know that we are in good hands with safe drinking water.

Valerie Chatain-White is a community correspondent for Headingley. You can contact her at vchatainwhite@gmail.com