Thanks to the new, ultramodern water treatment facility, 80,000 people in Drummondville, Quebec will have the highest quality drinking water available.
Designed to accommodate 30 years of growth—with population growth predicted to be 100,000—the new plant will meet the current standards of the Quebec Regulation and also exceed many requirements. Some standards may change in the future and be more restrictive, and the City of Drummondville will be able to meet them.
Fully automated, the plant’s $108.5 million shared with the Federal Government, the Government of Quebec, Drummondville and surrounding small towns St-Majorique-de-Granthan, St-Germain-de-Grantham and St-Cyrille-de-Wendover, says Jean-François Daigle, Director, Engineering and Environment Branch, Drummondville.
The new infrastructure will be built on land next to the current plant, so that the existing underground water tanks can be leveraged and the drinking water system configuration can be preserved.
Leading-edge technologies, including biological filtration and ozonation, will allow the new plant to have a daily treatment capacity of 69,500 m³ of drinking water. Landscaping work is also planned to move a bicycle path and convert the remaining area into green space. Construction began in late summer 2021 and is scheduled for completion early 2025.
“The quality of water and drinking water services are of primary importance to our government,” says Andrée Laforest, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Throughout Quebec, we are supporting cities and municipalities in upgrading their infrastructure to better meet residents’ needs. We can be proud of projects such as the construction of this new treatment plant in Drummondville, which will support not only the well-being of residents, but also the region’s economic health.”
The new plant contains the main treatment steps, which are:
- Pumping station;
- Screening;
- Coagulation – Floculation – Sedimentation;
- Ozonation;
- Biological Filtration;
- UV Radiation
- Chlorination;
“Ozonation and biological filtration are known to be effective on emerging pollutants, tastes and odors, which guarantees excellent water quality, while having water with a more pleasant taste than currently,” says Daigle. “Above all, it will be equipped with a so-called biological treatment. This drinking water treatment process is considered advanced, and removes a lot of organic matter, therefore generates much less disinfection byproduct (DBP), which could be harmful to health.”
The plant fits into the government of Canada and Quebec’s action plan to create jobs and stimulate the economy while meeting the essential infrastructure needs of communities. Both governments are committed to providing modern and effective water infrastructure throughout the province.
Over $16.1 million in this project is delivered by the federal government under the Green Infrastructure stream of the Investing in Canada Plan. The Government of Quebec is also investing more than $16.1 million through the Fonds pour l’infrastructure municipale d’eau (FIMEAU) funding program.
These federal-provincial contributions are in addition to the investment of $637.8 million announced by the governments of Canada and Quebec on August 20, 2020, to upgrade the province’s water infrastructure.
“In order to continuously provide quality services to residents, we must invest in maintaining and repairing equipment, buildings and systems,” says André Lamontagne, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister Responsible for the Centre-du-Québec Region.
This investment in safe and modern water treatment facilities will provide Drummondville residents with healthy drinking water—the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. Drummondville’s ultramodern water treatment plant is an exemplary example of Canadian infrastructure that creates jobs across the country and builds stronger communities.
www.drummondville.ca
