In November, the Water Security Agency in Moose Jaw wanted to instigate a change in classification for Assiniboia鈥檚 water treatment plant from a Class III to a Class IV facility.
The Water Security Agency sent a letter to the Town of Assiniboia, stating they wanted to modify the classification of the water plant because it was 鈥渋n the public interest to do so.鈥� Moreover, as the plant鈥檚 classification transformed from a Class III to a Class IV, the WSA also planned to renew the water treatment鈥檚 current permit and extend the expiry date. The WSA鈥檚 design to alter the Town of Assiniboia's Permit to Operate a Waterworks was based on the authority of section 28 of The Environmental Management and Protection Act of 2010.
The Town of Assiniboia objected to the change of classification. In accordance with a resolution made on November 18, Assiniboia鈥檚 Town Council directed the town鈥檚 administration office to send a letter of appeal to the WSA expressing their point of view in regards to this proposed reclassification. The WSA responded by acknowledging the letter. Also, the WSA said they would review their decision on the plant鈥檚 switch from Class III to Class IV.
鈥淒ue to the complexity of the Town of Assiniboia's treatment facility, the Water Security Agency (WSA) will be re-visiting the waterworks facility classification process to confirm an objective and consistent application of facility classification in the province. Once the review and consultation is complete, the WSA will notify the Town in writing and schedule a meeting to discuss the outcome,鈥� stated Andrew Hickey, the Environmental Protection Officer for the WSA.听听
The Town of Assiniboia received an email from the WSA on June 27, 2019 along with a document titled Waterworks Point Rating System, which described why the Assiniboia鈥檚 water plant gained a score of 81 points, which in turn led to the Class IV specification. In response, the Town of Assiniboia asked MPE Engineering Ltd. to review the points system the WSA used to reclassify the water treatment plant. MPE identified nine deductive points in total, giving Assiniboia鈥檚 water plant a total of 72 points, or enough marks to have the water plant remain within the Class III category.
MPE stated that water treatment systems are not adjusted based on taste and odour of raw water sources. Moreover, although treatment processes are regulated for algal growths which lead to periodic adjustments, the Waterworks Point Rating System stated that raw water is considered to be subjected to algae growths, as the process in treatment is routinely adjusted due to the presence of high levels of algae on at least a weekly basis for two months each year. Other points the WSA alluded to in their argument for the plant鈥檚 change in category included the operation鈥檚 flocculation component. However, the current system at the treatment plant doesn鈥檛 employ a flocculation element 鈥� flocculation refers to a reaction when colloids in water come out of suspension in flakes. Instead, the current treatment system in Assiniboia consists of a Solid Contact Upflow Clarifier.
The WSA also mentioned reservoir management in reference to plant鈥檚 reclassification. However, MPE said they didn鈥檛 believe that adding Nature's Pond to the reservoir could accurately be denoted to as being a form of reservoir management.
Finally, the WSA mentioned the SCADA system as yet another reason for the change from Class III to Class IV. Yet, although SCADA (Supervisory control and data acquisition) offers the capability for operators to remotely monitor routine procedures, operators are still required to perform manual calibrations of the plant鈥檚 chemical feed system and physically review the equipment inherent with standard operations.
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