New Energy Efficient Water Treatment Plant for Drayton Valley

The Town of Drayton Valley will build a new energy-efficient water treatment facility to replace its current plant, which has exceeded its lifespan, contains outdated and inefficient treatment systems, and will not meet the capacity needs of the growing population. The new water treatment facility will feature a range of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction measures, targeting LEED Silver certification. A high-performance building envelope, extensive natural lighting, and on-site renewable energy sources (solar electric and solar air heating) will result in energy savings of 60 per cent compared to a reference building designed to the National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) 2011 standards. The new facility’s process improvements include an innovative reinforced membrane filtration system that can filter highly turbid water without pre-treatment and will substantially lower the plant’s GHG emissions and use of chemicals such as alum sulphate. The project will reduce overall GHG emissions by approximately 89 tonnes CO2e per year. The facility will be relocated to higher ground close to an existing wastewater plant providing an opportunity for sustainable land reuse and habitat restoration, rather than greenfield development. The design also allows for significant reuse of components of the current water treatment plant and its lift pumps, which will reduce the amount of construction waste sent to landfill. (Project description from original funding application)