Grassy Narrows First Nation - Water Supply, Treatment and Distribution

Design and Contract Administration

SBA successfully completed the design, tender, contract administration and construction oversight of the interim upgrades to the existing Water Treatment Plant for Grassy Narrows First Nation. The Community’s original Water Treatment Plant had reached the end of its design capacity and was not capable of effectively treating the surface water supply to meet Federal and Provincial standards. This ultimately resulted in the Community’s water system being put on a long-term Boil Water Advisory since June 2014.

With no funding initially available to address the Community’s water capacity and treatment challenges, SBA worked with the Community to secure financial support from the Province and Federal government to engage in the process of providing an interim solution until a long-term solution could be implemented. SBA completed revisions to the process design to meet the Federal and Provincial standards and added treatment and disinfection processes to the existing facility including a simplified membrane technology, granular activated carbon (GAC) and ultraviolet disinfection. SBA also completed civil works including site grading and the installation of a large pipe diameter chlorine contact loop to meet disinfection requirements. Additionally, SBA designed and completed the construction supervision for two marine watermains extending across the lake to service Snake Point and Mission Road; two smaller settlements within the Grassy Narrows community that would have otherwise been uneconomical to service via typical watermain installation along the roadway.

The National Water Assessment had identified the existing Water Treatment Plant as a high-risk facility with respect to health and safety with a major concern being the inability of this facility to accommodate surface water quality changes throughout the seasons. Construction is now complete, and the implemented changes have effectively improved the treatment process, and the long-term Boil Water Advisory has now been rescinded. Similarly, the installation of the marine watermains to Snake Point and Mission Road have successfully allowed these areas of the community to be serviced with a safe supply of potable water from the upgraded communal Water Treatment Plant, thereby eliminating the “Do Not Consume” order that was previously enforced on the non-compliant well supplies that were originally constructed to service these two areas of the Community.