OVERVIEW OF WEST ST. PAUL WATER PROJECT
West St. Paul community currently has three water treatment plants: Rivercrest, West St. Paul School, and Winnipeg Middlechurch Home.
The treated water produced by the existing water treatment plant in Rivercrest currently serves 64 homes, and does not meet the Province of Manitoba’s drinking water standards. Most wells throughout the community do not meet the Province of Manitoba’s drinking water standards. In addition, test wells that were drilled throughout the community in 2014 were submitted for testing and analysis. Those results show our current aquifer contains high levels of dissolved solids and chlorides and is difficult and expensive to treat to meet Provincial drinking water standards. Overall, the rating of that water is "poor quality.”
The cost for West St. Paul to build its own water treatment plant and treating the water available are prohibitive (estimated $15 million to $17 million in 2013), compared to partnering with Cartier Regional Water Cooperative, which will cost West St. Paul $5.9 million and saves approximately $9 million to $11 million. Federal and Provincial grant funding supports regional water plants as a priority.
Communities connected to the CRWC include: The Rural Municipalities of Grey, Cartier, Portage la Prairie, St. Francois Xavier, Headingley, Rosser, and Rockwood. In May 2016, CentrePort went online. As a result of this connection, the continuation of the water line became the logical and most cost-effective option for West St. Paul. This option is funded and supported by the Federal, Provincial Governments including the Manitoba Water Services Board.