Musty water a possibility in Regina again this spring as water treatment upgrades run behind

Musty water could once again flow from Regina's taps this spring, according to the CEO of the city's water treatment plant.

Foul tasting and odd smelling water has been a problem in Regina and Moose Jaw over the past three years.

That could happen again, the CEO of the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation warned Regina's executive committee this week.

"There is some risk that the ozone system will not be operating before our seasonal taste and odour [changing] cyanobacteria blooms occur, but the contractor has done everything they can to mitigate these risks," Ryan Johnson said.

Cyanobacteria in Buffalo Pound Lake causes the funky water.

The lake — which measures three metres deep, a kilometre wide and 30 kilometres long — is shallow and the bacteria builds up over time.

The water doesn't pose a safety risk, according to the province's Water Security Agency, but is unpleasant to consume.

Upgrades at the Buffalo Pound water treatment plant are expected to fix the problem, but the $325-million renewal project is running five months behind, according to Johnson.

The original completion date was set for 2025, but substantial completion is now slated for March 2026.

Fluoridated water on its way

Johnson also provided an updated timeline for the city's adoption of fluoride into its drinking water.

City council voted in 2021 to move forward with the plan, but only once upgrades at the water treatment were completed.

"The system [has] been designed. We will be tender ready, probably [this] summer, with the intent of procuring and installing in January-ish in 2026," said Johnson.

Johnson told the city's executive committee that the corporation wants to ensure two contractors aren't getting in each others way.

This puts the city one step closer to ending the discussion on a controversial topic.

There is strong scientific evidence of the benefits of fluoridation, which include cavity reduction. That is important for the young to avoid traumatic dental work, and the elderly to avoid dental appliances that are costly and difficult to manage. 

Before council's vote in 2021, motions to add fluoride to the water had been denied or voted down in a referendum four separate times in the city's history.