How Water Gets To Your Home

Water's journey to your tap begins in the glaciers, snowpack and ground water of the Canadian Rockies, which eventually flows into the North Saskatchewan River before reaching Edmonton and our E.L. Smith and Rossdale Water Treatment Plants.

Drawn into the treatment plant by pipes deep in the river specially designed to protect fish, the water is clarified, filtered and disinfected, making it safe for you and your family to use. Throughout this process, we're constantly testing water quality.

After about seven to 15 hours of treatment, the safe and clean water is stored in reservoirs, ready to travel through thousands of kilometers of underground pipes to reach your tap, toilet and bath.

Wastewater management

It's important that the water we return to the river is safe for wildlife and the environment. Every time you take a shower or flush the toilet, you send wastewater to our Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant, which collects, clarifies and treats both your wastewater and nature's storm water. This includes removing debris and contaminants, plus disinfection using high intensity ultraviolet light.