Overview of the System

The journey of the water we drink starts in the mountains of Alberta. Snowmelt and rainfall flows down the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and into the Bow River.

As water flows to the east, it is diverted at the Bassano Dam, near the Town of Bassano, through the Eastern Irrigation District works and canals and flows into Lake Newell. At Lake Newell, Newell Regional Services Corporation (NRSC) has a pumphouse that pumps raw water through a 7 km pipeline to the Brooks Water Treatment Plant.

At the Water Treatment Facility that was completed in 2010, water flows through a membrane filtration system taking out many impurities and pathogens that may cause health problems. Pathogens will come into contact with Chlorine, a well known water disinfection chemical to provide safe drinking water. There are other chemicals added which assist in the process such as Powdered Activated Carbon. The last step in treatment is the addition of Ammonia. This assist in the disinfection process as chloramines provide a more stable and long term disinfection. From the Water Treatment Plant, water is pumped into various water distribution systems and transmission mains within the County of Newell No. 4.

This includes the City of Brooks, Lake Newell Resort, the Hamlets of Rainier, Scandia, ;Rolling Hills, Tilley and Patricia. Water also flow via transmission main to the Village of Rosemary, the Village of Duchess, and the Town of Bassano.