Naicatchewenin First Nation - Water Supply, Treatment and Distribution

Design and Contract Administration

SBA completed the design, tender, contract administration and construction oversight of a new Water Treatment Plant for Naicatchewenin First Nation, a community located in northwestern Ontario approximately 70 km northwest of Fort Frances.

A Water Treatment Study commissioned by the First Nation in 2011 identified the Community’s previous Water Treatment Plant and overall system as being at risk due to critical water supply shortages and the inability to meet Federal and Provincial regulations. SBA provided professional engineering services to design a top-of-the-line slow sand treatment facility with ozone pre-treatment, ultraviolet and chlorine disinfection. The surface water source from the Rainy River Lake was harnessed by constructing a new intake and low lift chamber and the completed water treatment facility included a below-grade reservoir, various electrical and mechanical upgrades consisting of a modern SCADA system and a stand-by generator. The system is sized and constructed to service the 20-year projected population and will ensure compliance with Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act. The project also included upgrades to the Community’s distribution system which involved the replacement and extension of approximately 2,000 m of new watermain to facilitate connection to the new WTP and to ensure a reliable supply of potable water for domestic use and fire protection for the full extent of the Community. 

As a result of these upgrades, a Boil Water Advisory enforced on the Community’s water treatment system has now been rescinded and the facility has been successfully commissioned and is currently in operation, ensuring the current and long-term potable water needs of the First Nation Community.