Powers Creek Water Treatment Plant

Powers Creek Water Treatment Plant (PCWTP) is a state of the art facility that produces safe, clean drinking water via a multi-barrier process as required under federal and provincial guidelines.

At the time of commissioning in 2007, the plant – classified Level 4 – was the largest of its kind in Canada.

The plant is located in Glen Canyon between the Smith Creek and Glenrosa Neighbourhoods and serves:

  • Gellatly
  • Glenrosa
  • Smith Creek
  • Westbank

In 2005, the then ratepayers of the Legacy Westbank Irrigation District (now the Powers Creek System) approved borrowing for the construction of the water treatment plant.

Water rates were incrementally increased in the years prior to the borrowing to help cover costs of designing, constructing, affordably financing and sustainably operating and maintaining the plant.

The purpose of the plant was to end repeated drinking water quality issues that were more prevalent during spring freshet.

Construction began in October 2005 and finished on schedule and under budget in February 2007. The $18. 8 million project included the cost of constructing the treatment plant and its intakes and equipment, an eight mega litre (ML) reservoir; and UV disinfection.

The water system originated in the 1920's with the creation of the Westbank Irrigation District and was primarily created for agriculture.

The original system included overland flumes, which, over time, were converted into modern infrastructure.

The 139 square kilometer watershed, located primarily within Crown provincial land, contains six reservoir lakes that feed into Powers Creek in Glen Canyon. Tadpole, Dobbin, Horseshoe, Paynter,  Jackpine, and Lambly (Bear) Reservoirs provide more than 10,500 mega litres of stored water reserves.

Today, the system serves more than 4,700 customers including approximately 4,400 residential, 150 business, 150 agricultural and 30 industrial connections.

The facility receives water from Powers Creek in Glen Canyon.

Water flows via gravity through a rotating screen, flash/rapid mix, coagulation, flocculation, clarification, and filtration processes. The clarification and filtration processes are combined to increase treatment effectiveness and efficiency. The combined process is referred to as In-Filter Dissolved Air Flotation (In-Filter DAF). The water is further treated with both ultra violet and chlorine disinfection and then sent to a holding reservoir.

Powers Creek Water Treatment Plant specifications include:

  • Volume of treated water - 4,900 mega litres (ML)
  • Maximum daily demand - 37.7 ML/day
  • Capacity - 55 ML/day; potential for future expansion to 81 ML/day
  • Average Daily Flow - 13.7 ML/day

Water quality data and reporting

For previous community updates, the Annual Water Report, monthly water data and additional information, please visit:

If you have further questions or require additional information, please email us, we are here to help.

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