Bragg Creek Water System Update

September 5th, 2011
The new water treatment plant will give the residents of Bragg Creek a local supply of safe bulk drinking water, eliminating the boil-water order for the community. The plant will deliver potable water to the area over the next few years and immediately lower costs to residents by reducing trucking times.

HOW DOES THE PLANT WORK?
Water is taken from the Elbow River from the south side, on the east side of the hamlet bordering the Tsuu T’ina Nation. The plant is located inside the existing grader shed located in the Rocky View County lot at the north end of Burnside Drive. The potable water storage tank and truck fill station is next to the treatment plant.

The infiltration system under the river gravels is flood-protected with rock armoring all across the river bed, so the system is immune to river channel shifts.

The water is treated through an advanced modular and expandable technology including ultrafiltration (UF) membranes and ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection. The system also includes the statutory requirement for chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) for disinfection in the storage tank and any distribution piping.

Phase One

Phase one was completed this summer, allowing for the delivery of water by tanker truck to each subscribing customer / resident in the Bragg Creek area.

Each customer will need a potable water storage tank to receive the water, and pump and plumbing for potable supply within the property. Bragg Creek businesses in the commercial area already have these installations.

The completed work for Phase One includes:

· River intake system

· New membrane treatment plant

· Truck fill station

NEXT STEPS

Water trucked to homes
Residents will be able to access water in a variety of ways. To access delivery of water by tanker truck, a home must meet the following criteria as set out by Alberta Environment:

· Live over the alluvial aquifer of the Elbow River and currently withdraw from it (most commonly through a well)

· Have an existing septic field over the alluvial aquifer to facilitate the return

· Have the ability to receive bulk water (tank or cistern)

· Be a resident of greater Bragg Creek

When can I sign-up for water delivery?
Rocky View County will establish a delivery method in order to determine costs. Options available include the County purchasing a water truck and managing the delivery service or to contract the service out and establish the rate through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The delivery of the water will be based on a user pay system.

Piping to the home
Installation costs for the piping systems will differ as conditions and other variables will not be the same in every situation.

To get connected to the water utility, below are the one-time 2011 estimated costs for getting the water piping infrastructure to a home:

· 200 millimetres (mm) piping = $515/lineal metre (lm)

· 150 mm piping = $450/lm

· 100 mm piping = $400/lm

· 25 mm water service with stops to plant = $385/lm

· 25 mm water service = $330/lm

Rocky View County will invest +/-$6.7 million in the infrastructure constructed for the Bragg Creek Water Treatment plant. The investment will not be recovered through the rates, connection fees or any other costs to the community. This is a significant advantage to Bragg Creek residents over typical development scenarios where the end user pays for all costs.

Utility costs
After installing the piping to the home, the rough estimate water rate is:

· $1.55/m3 and a $25.00 monthly fixed fee per account

· Example: Monthly bill of $71.50 for home with average usage of one cubic metre per day
This is based on the Water Treatment Plant producing at full capacity and will be evaluated annually based on actual conditions.

When can I access the water?

Residents and businesses can start the process of installing piping to the plant in October 2011.

Future
The goal is for the water service to grow and have a piping distribution network supplying everyone in the hamlet with water. The plant was sized to service Bragg Creek to address the current needs of residents and businesses and the technology is expandable to meet future needs of the hamlet. Residents have the option to use the potable water or not – it is not currently mandatory to connect

The next step is to start on Phase One B, which includes the design, tendering and construction of sections of the main distribution pipe system. Please also refer to the ”Funding Options,” section, outlining options for funding of the project and getting neighbourhoods connected.

July 30, 2011
Rick's Councillor Update- I will have information for residents in early September concerning plans for the long-anticipated water and waste water piping and costs for hook up and all that goes with that. In fact, a community meeting will be held in October to discuss plans and details more fully. Excerpted from: Rick's Councillor Update

May 23, 2011
Construction of the Bragg Creek Water Treatment Plant is underway and will be completed in June. The County expects that the facility could begin producing water in late July and will meet or exceed all existing water quality requirements. Rate structure (flat rate + per/m3) is proposed at $25.00 + $1.55/m3 for 2011 for an average monthly rate of approximately $55/month. Residential costs are estimated at +/-$5,000.00.

The County will then proceed with design and construction of the water distribution system this year once the facility itself has been substantially completed. The distribution proposes to include a pipeline to the commercial area service to Elkana and Wintergreen Co-op’s pending service agreements with the two Co-Op’s. The County continues to evaluate water storage options in the Hamlet and will need to install a reservoir in later phases in order to provide security of supply and fire suppression services. Excerpted from: Rick's Councillor Update (Pic)

April 28, 2011
Construction of the Bragg Creek Water Treatment Plant is underway and will be completed in June. The County expects that the facility could begin producing water in late July and will meet or exceed all existing water quality requirements.

The County will then proceed with design and construction of the water distribution system this year once the facility itself has been substantially completed. The distribution includes pipeline to the commercial area and remainder of north loop to Elkana pending service agreements with Elkana and Wintergreen. Once the distribution piping has been installed in late 2011 the County can begin entertaining requests to connect to the system. The County continues to evaluate water storage options in the Hamlet and will need to install a reservoir in later phases in order to provide security of supply and fire suppression services. Excerpted from: Rick's Councillor Update