Buffalo Pound Lake

New intake pump station and pipeline increases water supply to SaskWater customers

SaskWater owns and operates a regional non-potable water supply system in the Belle Plaine Industrial Corridor located between Moose Jaw and Regina, Saskatchewan. The existing system, comprising a 16.4 million litres per day capacity pump station intake facility at Buffalo Pound Lake and 20 kilometres of 400 millimetre steel pipeline, was originally designed by Associated Engineering in 1991. In 2007, Associated Engineering worked with SaskWater to design and construct a booster pump station to permit the system to operate at maximum capacity. To address the significant growth anticipated in the Belle Plaine Industrial Corridor in the next three to five years, SaskWater has again commissioned Associated Engineering to expand the existing non-potable supply system. The expansion will include a new intake and pump station, and 18 kilometres of new 600 millimetres ductile iron pipeline.

The project, which is expected to be completed by August 2010, will expand the existing operation by incorporating a new pump station and lake intake complex at Buffalo Pound Lake beside the existing pump station. The new pump station will have an initial pumping capacity of 70.9 million litres per day and an intake capacity of 87.2 million litres per day. The pump station will operate in parallel with the existing pump station with provisions for future expansion to address the anticipated future water demand in the Belle Plaine area, as well as to potentially replace the existing pumping station completely.

Associated Engineering is leading the project as Prime Consultant, and is responsible for the project management, preliminary and detailed design, tender package preparation, construction administration, and post-construc- tion services. The schedule for the project is aggressive in order to meet the requirements of several industrial clients. To expedite the regulatory approval process, Associated Engineering’s project team invited representa- tives from each regulatory agency to meet and discuss issues they may have regarding the project. As a result, many regulatory issues were resolved prior to formal regulatory submissions.

In addition, the project team looked at ways to “fast-track” the construction schedule. Project Manager Peter Hooge explains, “SaskWater was open to considering a construction management approach which involves having the contractor as part of the project team during the design process. Implementation of this approach is expected to reduce the potential for constructability issues which can occur in conventional design, tender, and construc- tion project delivery methods and, most importantly, is expected to shorten project timelines.”

The relatively shallow depth of the lake required design of an intake screening system using fine mesh travelling fish screens and low lift fish handling pumps. The project is currently in detailed design with construction expected to begin this summer.