Protecting Edmonton's Water Treatment Plants from Flooding

​Protecting our Water Treatment Plants from Flooding

We are working to protect the Rossdale and E.L. Smith Water Treatment Plants from the impacts of a one in 500 year flood. In the event of a major flood, we want to ensure we limit potential damage to the facility and can resume water treatment to the community as quickly as possible afterwards.

Both of Edmonton's water treatment plants (E.L. Smith and Rossdale) are located in the river floodplain where they bring untreated water out of the North Saskatchewan River, treat it, and pump safe, clean drinking water out to homes and businesses located in Edmonton and surrounding communities. As these river valley locations present an increased chance of flooding, we have a long-term plan in place to protect the source of Edmonton's drinking water supply.

Why this is needed

Over the next 30 years, climate change modelling predicts that extreme weather will be more frequent and air temperatures will increase. For the North Saskatchewan River, this is expected to lead to higher flows in the winter and spring, with earlier or multiple spring runoff periods, and lower flows during the summer and fall.

While river water quality and river flow is expected to change due to increased extreme weather events and climate change, we have a long-term plan in place to ensure we can successfully manage these changes. This project is part of that plan and will build the plant's resiliency by:

1. Limiting potential damage to the E.L. Smith and ​Rossdale Water Treatment Plants (including the Rossdale and Bellamy Substations); and
2. Ensuring we can resume treating Edmonton's drinking water as quickly as possible after a flood.

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What we are doing

Protecting our Water Treatment Plants during a major flood event will include three kinds of work. This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Province of Alberta. Click below for more information about each one.

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