Yorkton avoids state of emergency, but rainfall strains aging wastewater plant

Yorkton avoided the widespread flooding experienced by several surrounding communities following last week's heavy rainfall. However, the deluge did lead to strains at the city's wastewater plant. (Fruzsina De Cloedt/CTV News)

Yorkton avoided the widespread flooding experienced by several surrounding communities following last week’s heavy rainfall, a result city officials say reflects years of investment in flood mitigation infrastructure.

Mayor Aaron Kienle said the city received significant rainfall from the system that impacted communities across east-central Saskatchewan, including Canora, Kamsack, Good Spirit Lake and several First Nations.

“We’ve been there before,” Kienle said. “It was just really good that we didn’t have that widespread flooding situation that a lot of other communities are experiencing.”

The rainfall brought memories of Yorkton’s devastating flood in 2010, when heavy rains overwhelmed the city’s infrastructure and caused extensive damage.

“When I came on council, we had just experienced a couple of major floods,” Kienle said. “There were reports that identified what needed to be done, and over the last 10 years or so there’s been about $30 million invested into flood mitigation and water storage.”

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

Those investments included ponds and other infrastructure designed to temporarily hold excess water during major rain events.

While the city itself avoided significant flooding, the rainfall was a painful reminder of a growing challenge: Yorkton’s aging wastewater treatment plant.

The current facility is designed to handle wastewater equivalent to a population of about 40,000 people, despite Yorkton’s population sitting at approximately 17,000. It is already nearing its maximum capacity due to Yorkton’s large service area.

During the first 24 hours of the storm, the plant received flows equivalent to a community of roughly 100,000 people.

It processed about 40 million litres of water on Tuesday alone. Between Tuesday and Sunday, approximately 150 million litres flowed through the system.

As a result, the city was forced to bypass portions of the treatment process. Kienle said about 40 million liters of wastewater, some of it partially treated and some untreated, was discharged into the nearby creek.

“Our system simply couldn’t handle it,” he said.

The city has reported the wastewater bypasses to the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency and federal environmental authorities.

Testing and monitoring continue in case any impacts are discovered downstream.

The recent rainfall has reinforced the city’s push to replace the aging plant, a project expected to cost between $200 million and $300 million.

Earlier this year, city council collectively voted to pursue the full design of the plant.

“We were at 30 per cent design. We’re now working [toward] full design, which is $9 million,” the mayor said. “[It’s] very expensive to even plan for the facility.”

Kienle said the city is actively seeking support from both the provincial and federal governments.

“I’ve been to Ottawa to talk to people at the federal government level, and we’ve had many visits and conversations with our provincial government,” he said. “We’re willing to spend our share of the money on this major project, but we simply can’t afford the full cost on our own.”

The mayor said the need for a new plant extends beyond managing major rainfall events.

Yorkton’s population is expected to continue growing as major industrial developments, including the nearby canola crush plant, attract workers and create new demand for housing and services. Kienle said updated wastewater infrastructure will be critical to supporting both future growth and existing industry.

“There’s so much more than just flooding,” he said. “There’s attracting new business, supporting the industry that we already have here, as well as houses that need to be built.”

Kienle said the city has received inquiries from residents after the storm, most have focused on property damage.

He noted the city’s awareness that insurance coverage for flood-related damage is not always available, depending on individual policies.

“The City of Yorkton is assessing, based on residential feedback, if there’s a need for additional assistance regarding damages anchored in flooding and rain events,” Kienle said.