Saddle Hills County has announced that the ongoing Central Peace Regional Water Project has been awarded an additional $22.7 million in grant funding from the provincial government’s Water for Life Grant Program.
The program covers up to 90 per cent of costs for eligible projects and officials at the county say the additional funding boost will help complete phases one and two of the project which will see the pumping of water from the Peace River to raw water reservoirs in the Town of Spirit River and the Village of Rycroft.
The project is a collaborative effort between Birch Hills County, the MD of Spirit River, Saddle Hills County, the Town of Spirit River, and the Village of Rycroft.
So far, the funds allocated for the project total just over $65 million, with 90 per cent covered by Government of Alberta grants.
Officials at the county suggest that the funds raised so far will help complete the river intake, pumping station, and the first portion of one of the raw water pipelines needed to finish the project. The county says the hope is that these portions of the project will be awarded by the end of the year and the final cost of the project is yet to be determined.
Along with the new funding, the county was also awarded $280K through the province’s Drought and Flood Protection Program for the Ksituan Additional Raw Water Storage Project which will see the construction of a supplemental raw water storage facility to support the Water Treatment Plant during times of drought.
