Changes to your Water

On Tuesday, January 31, 2012, the Westlock Water Treatment Plant will begin the commissioning process to switch the current water treatment process from using chlorine to chloramine disinfectants. This process is expected to take 2 to 3 days. It is expected that the chloraminated water will be fully into the distribution systems in the Town of Westlock, Village of Clyde and Hamlet of Vimy by February 10, 2012. At any time after January 31, 2012, chloraminated water could be present in your distribution system. Please plan accordingly if you are required to do so. 

The current water treatment process uses chlorine dinsinfection, to ensure the water is free of pathogens. In a regional water system the water must travel farther and therefore ammonia will be added after disinfection (a safe, proven process called chloramination). Water treated in the Town of Westlock will be sent to the Town of Westlock, Village of Clyde and Hamlet of Vimy. 

Chloraminated water is safe for drinking by people and animals, and for cooking, bathing, laundry, gardening and all other household uses. It can be used safely by women who are pregnanct, for mixing baby formula and for cleaning cuts, scrapes and wounds. Chloramines do not accumulate in the human body.

However, just as with chlorine, these special groups must remove or neutralize chloramines:

• Kidney dialysis patients
• Owners of aquariums, reptiles, amphibians or backyard ponds
• Restaurants and supermarkets with live seafood tanks
• Processors of photographic materials
• Businesses or laboraties requiring high-purity water

Chloramines cannot be removed by most water-softening equipment, domestic filtration equipment, boiling water, adding salt or exposing water to air. Chloramines can be removed from aquarium water or backyard ponds by inexpensive water conditioners or activated carbon filtration. If you are a dialysis patient with questions about chloramine removal, call the Westlock Regional Healthcare Centre at 780-349-3301.

For more information contact your local municipal office or view the brochure and poster available in the Reports section, and information posted on the FAQ page. 

In 2006, the Town of Westlock, the Village of Clyde, and the Westlock County retained ISL Engineering and Land Services to conduct a feasibility study for a regional water supply system to service the municipalities and hamlets within the county.

Various servicing alternatives were thoroughly investigated and evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Quality of produced drinking water
• Sustainability
• Project costs and funding strategies
• Operation and Maintenance.

Implementing a regional water supply system is the best alternative that meets the above criteria. The regional water supply system will also meet the goals and directions indentified in the Water For Life strategy:

• Provide safe and secure drinking water supply
• Protect of the aquatic ecosystems
• Manage water production and use effectively
• Support sustainable economic development

The ultimate regional system will service the communities shown in the map below.

More information will be posted as the project progresses. Stay tuned and find out what is going on in your area!