Algae blooms behind Regina and Moose Jaw's musty water: Buffalo Pound water treatment plant
Water is still safe to drink and meets regulatory standards, says plant’s lab manager
Early algae blooms are to blame for the musty water some people are noticing in Regina and Moose Jaw these days, according to experts at the Buffalo Pound water treatment plant, which services both cities.
Blair Kardash, the plant's manager of laboratory and research, told CBC News his team first detected the "odour materials" from the growing algae in Buffalo Pound Lake — where the water comes from before it's filtered — at the end of April.
"It's an event that happens every 10 or 15 years, and is just part of the natural cycle of algae in Buffalo Pound Lake," he said, noting this is the third time he's seen this in his more-than-30-year career.
The Water Security Agency, the provincial body that oversees the facility, said this year's premature algae blooms come down to the weather.
"Typically, in Buffalo Pound you get a lot of mixing — wind or wave action — so that prevents this from happening," said Patrick Boyle, a spokesperson with the agency.
"But this spring, it was a matter of that calm, dry, hot weather mixed with no wind or wave action, and algae really thrive in those conditions. It's a matter of having the right weather conditions at the right time."
Regardless of the esthetic issues, Boyle confirmed the water still meets regulatory safety standards.
Kardash also emphasized that point.
"Citizens of Regina and Moose Jaw can be assured that — even though there's a hint of a taste and odour — there are no concerns about the safety of the drinking water that we produce," he said, adding the plant's treatment process hasn't stopped working.
Kardash noted that the plant's granular activated carbon system, which is usually online in mid-May and takes care of the esthetic factors, still needs time to catch up.
He anticipates Regina and Moose Jaw residents won't see a change in their water for at least another week.
"It's a process that takes anywhere from a week to two weeks to accumulate in a backwashing process to get to the top of the granular activated carbon bed, and then the stuff has to be raked and then it has to be vacuumed off," Kardash explained.
In the meantime, he said the treatment plant is using its powdered activated carbon to help cut the mustiness as best as it can.
"It has limited efficacy for the removal of taste and odour — but it is working somewhat, so the taste and odour could be worse," Kardash said.
Kardash noted this water problem is separate from the smell and taste issues last fall, which were triggered after the plant's granular activated carbon system went offline for the season.
In that case, Kardash said there was a "significant amount of decay" that built up, due to the increased algae and weeds in the lake last summer.
He said that it lasted, as expected, for a couple of months, but the intensity was less than what people are experiencing this spring.
Plant upgrades set to prevent esthetic issues
Allan Dlugan, the project manager for the Buffalo Pound water treatment plant's $325-million dollar renewal project, said that in a few years the current processes could be a thing of the past.
The renovations include a new ozone facility and biologically activated carbon filters, which are more in tune with Mother Nature's clock.
"That will take all the taste and odour and any last remnants out 100 per cent of the year, so we're never going to have a startup or shutdown — everything is just going to continuously flow," Dlugan explained.
While the construction side of the renewal project is set to be complete by mid-2025, Dlugan said the processes are expected to undergo a "gradual switch over" for about a year afterward.
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