f Slave Lake’s water treatment plant upgrades had been completed a week or two earlier, chances are residents wouldn’t have had to boil their water for four days last week. And “as long as God doesn’t throw us something bigger than Alberta Environment standards,” they won’t face any more boil water orders any time in the foreseeable future, says deputy mayor Valerie Tradewell . She’s also the chair for the Property Services portfolio that oversees the water and wastewater treatment in this community.
In fact, Town officials were well into their $1.1 million water treatment upgrade when warm temperatures prompted a speedy spring run-off, which in turn increased turbidity of the water and elevated levels of both cryptosporidium and giardia bacteria.
That’s why the Aspen Regional Health Authority #7 issued the boil water advisory last Sunday night. There were no reports of illness due to the elevated turbidity.
The Town expected to begin is upgrades as early as March, Tradewell told The Leader Friday. But equipment transportation delays bumped the start up back, she said. Now the upgrade’s essentially complete, leaving this community well protected in terms of water treatment.
“If we’d been done (the upgrades), we probably would have been able to handle” the increased bacteria that the turbidity delivered, said Town Manager Jay Simons.
“But we were caught,” before the upgrades were complete. The first phase of the upgrades was essentially completed last week, however, and the manager says “I anticipate we’ll never have this problem again.”
In fact, councillors last week gave their administrators permission to spend $100,000 that they’d set aside to be used in Phase II of this three-phase upgrade.
The money materialized when project bids came in well under budget, said Tradewell. But earlier this month engineers suggested the Town might be wise to spend the money on chemical injection sooner than later.
Phases II and III will unfold in coming months and years, says Tradewell, depending the success of the first phase. In fact, the upgrades come as Alberta Environment tightens its regulations and its demand upon municipalities. The deputy mayor says the next phases will likely include a decision as to what types of membranes that it’ll use for the treatment process.
Town tests revealed the water was clear late Wednesday. And after waiting for the province’s tests to duplicate those results, Operations director Allan Anderson announced the ban had been lifted at noon Thursday.
He encouraging residents to flush their lines before drinking any water, replace ice in refrigerators, and flush all ice-making machines. He also encouraged any residents with hot water heaters set below 45 degrees C to drain and refill the tanks. Adjacent users of the Town water such as the Sawridge Truck Stop were to flush lines and “follow appropriate procedures to ensure the potability...
“With the modifications at the water treatment plant we do not anticipate any further problems,” he said in his release.
“All improvements will be a tremendous asset for our water plant operations ensuring safe water for the community.
“The Town of Slave Lake would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding.”
The release said residents with further questions about water safety can call the health inspector at 805-3521, or Health Link at 1-866-408-5465.

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