Water Treatment Facility Upgrade

The goal of the Water Treatment Facility Upgrade & Expansion is to provide safe, high quality drinking water that accommodates current and future regulatory requirements and growth, while maintaining practical and reliable operations.

Project Location

The City of Brandon’s Public Water Supply System has been treating and pumping potable water to its citizens since 1893 using the Assiniboine River as its primary raw water source. The Water Treatment Facility, located at 108 26th Street, has gone through numerous major upgrades over its many years in operation, with capacity increases in 1946, 1958, and 1976. This milestone project is another chapter in Brandon’s water treatment story.

Project Overview

The City embarked on a Water Treatment Master Plan in 2012 to address:

Water quality improvements
Condition of existing equipment
Risks to service delivery within the existing facility
Future water treatment capacity

The Master Plan set the path towards needed improvements at the Water Treatment Facility.

Aerial Rendering of future Water Treatment Facility Additions

Planning & Design to upgrade the facility received grant funding through the Clean Water & Wastewater Fund (CWWF) in 2017. Funding was shared between the City ($809,565), Provincial ($809,565) and Federal ($1,619,130) governments with a total value of $3,238,260.

The Planning & Design project began in collaboration with consulting engineers to facilitate the design process. The project team worked to define the many needs of the future treatment facility, including specialized equipment, robust specifications, improved safety, and reliable operations. This project led to a phased construction approach.

Phase 1: Chemical Building

Constructed value: $17 million

Additional funding was announced in 2017 under the CWWF program with a total value of $4,461,740, shared between the City ($2,230,870) and the Federal government ($2,230,870) for the construction of a dedicated Chemical Building at the Water Treatment Facility. The Chemical Building was designed for the storage and dosing of chemicals required for water treatment that is safer for staff and residents, as well as for the environment. It was also built to accommodate chemicals needed for future treatment processes.

Water Treatment Facility Chemical Building

Construction of the Chemical Building began in 2019 and continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chemical Building was put into operation in 2022.

Significantly, the project allowed for the removal of chlorine gas from the facility in favour of the new disinfection chemical: sodium hypochlorite. While highly effective in the treatment process, chlorine gas is a hazardous material that requires stringent safety and material handling protocols. The Water Treatment Facility used chlorine gas for nearly 70 years without an incident when it was finally turned off in November 2022.

Phase 2: Membrane Building

Awarded construction contract value: $127.8 million

Membrane Building Rendering, South-east view

Investing In Canada Infrastructure (ICIP) funding was announced in 2021 for the Upgrade & Expansion of Brandon’s Water Treatment Facility with a total value of $125,000,000, shared between the City ($40,284,991), Provincial ($38,485,809) and Federal ($46,000,000) governments. Additional ICIP funding of $30,000,000 was announced for the project in 2023, shared between the City ($15,000,000) and Provincial government ($15,000,000). The total funding allocation for the project under the ICIP program is $155,000,000. The majority of the ICIP funding has been allocated to the Membrane Building addition.

Membrane Building Rendering, South-west view

The new Membrane Building will include a dual-membrane, pressurized water treatment system, using ultrafiltration and nanofiltration technology. For the Membrane Building to operate, construction will also include:

An electrical substation
Additional treated water storage
Underground piping and chambers
Many connections within the existing facility

Once complete, the membrane treatment system will run in parallel to the existing, conventional treatment system. Treated water from both systems will be blended at the facility and finally pumped to the distribution system for use. The Membrane Building is planned to be in operation in 2029.

Future Phases

In addition to the Chemical and Membrane Buildings, there are more improvements planned at the facility. Project works include but are not limited to:

A new intake, yard piping and settling pond
- This will mitigate flooding and drought concerns, reduce maintenance, and ensure continued access to source water.
Reinvestment in the existing facility, with filter upgrades identified as the next project

- This will improve the longevity of the current systems to extend their useful life, while complementing the expansion technology.

Current Construction Impacts

Construction around an operating facility has many challenges that will be coordinated between the City and contractors to ensure uninterrupted service. Every effort will also be made to limit the impact of construction on residents.

The site at 108 26th Street North has limited space and use of the nearby park will be necessary during construction, which will change in area throughout the project. Public notifications can be expected for significant impacts.

In preparation for Membrane Building construction, beginning October 6th, 2025:

Access to the south parking lot within Queen Elizabeth Park will be closed
Tennis courts at Queen Elizabeth Park can be accessed on the north side of the courts

Construction on the site is expected to begin by the end of October 2025.

Green Infrastructure Project

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.

This project is funded in part by the Province of Manitoba.