Open House Seeks Input on Proposed Ashmont-Mallaig Water Line Extension

Provision of drinking water to Mallaig is next step in County’s water service delivery

County of St. Paul – An Open House will be held April 12, 2017, 7-9pm at the Mallaig Unity Centre to provide information and identify project concerns on the proposed Ashmont-Mallaig Water Line Extension.

The County of St. Paul has filed an application under the provisions of the Water Act (1999) to divert 51,100m3 to of treated drinking water through the extension of a water line from the Hamlet of Ashmont in the North Saskatchewan River Basin to the Hamlet of Mallaig located in the Beaver River Basin.

To protect drainage basins from environmental disturbance, the Water Act does now allow an inter-basin water transfer without a project-specific amendment approved by the Alberta Legislative Assembly. Part of the process to amend the Water Act is to check in with residents and stakeholders to identify and address any concerns or aspirations they may have for the project. 

The County has looked at three potential routes for the water line extension and the Iron Horse Trail was selected as the preferred alignment for a number of reasons.

“The County found that this option minimally impacts land owners, residents, and the environment. It won’t require a pump upgrade in Ashmont and maintenance and operation through this alignment was the safest option,” says Reeve at Large, Steve Upham.

If the inter-basin water transfer is approved by the Legislative Assembly by December 2017, construction is planned to begin in the spring of 2018 and to be completed in the fall of 2018. Installation of the water line will be done primarily through horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to minimize disturbance. The County was able to secure 92% of the project costs through the Alberta Water For Life Fund and the Federal Government’s Canada Water and Wastewater Fund.

An environmental impact study has been completed and has concluded that, due to the low volume of water to be transferred, the inter-basin transfer will not result in significant impacts to either river basin.

The County of St. Paul Regional Water System currently provides water to residents in Spedden, Ashmont, and Lottie Lake. The next step is to include Mallaig to ensure residents in this hamlet also have access to reliable, potable water for current and future generations.

The Open House will take place on April 12, 2017 at the Mallaig Unity Centre (3009 Park Ave) from 7-9pm.

Everyone is welcome.

Residents can also find information and provide comments on the County’s website www.county.stpaul.ab.ca.