Prince Albert considers joining program to test wastewater for more than 500 drugs

A city sign is photographed in Prince Albert, Sask., on Tuesday, July 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu

The City of Prince Albert is taking steps to enter a new surveillance program, monitoring drugs in the community through wastewater testing.

In 2022 and 2023, seven Canadian cities were tested for drugs in the wastewater through the Canadian Wastewater Survey. Prince Albert had the highest daily levels methamphetamine per capita of all participating cities.

Now, Prince Albert is preparing to participate in a different project: the National Wastewater Drug Surveillance Program.

“As much as it is uncomfortable or unpleasant to talk about or to face, to move ahead successfully on challenging things like addictions and the drug trade, we need good intel,” said Mayor Bill Powalinsky at Monday’s city council meeting.

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On Monday, city council voted to enter a memorandum of understanding with Health Canada to participate in the program.

Community Safety & Well-Being Manager Anna Dinsdale explained how the new program is different from the one in 2023, which measured the quantity of drugs in wastewater.

“This new one allows us to test for 550 substances, but it will only tell us if they’re present or not,” she said. “The idea is that the two projects actually align together really nicely.”

The new program analyzes wastewater for the presence of 550 unique drugs and drug-related metabolites.

The city says more information on substance use would allow the municipality, law enforcement, and health and social agencies to make better informed decisions regarding substances in the community.

Councillor Tony Head voiced his support.

“This is another way that we could target certain drugs,” he said. “Through the police this information could be valuable, and so this is a great program to sign on to.”

Prince Albert Police Chief Patrick Nogier advocated for the program in a letter of support to city council.

“As police services across Canada continue to respond to the evolving realities associated with illicit drugs, organized crime, and substance-related harms, access to emerging intelligence and analytical tools will become increasingly important,” said Nogier.

“Early adoption of these tactics positions our organization and community partners to better understand how this type of information may support operational planning, strategic decision making, prevention initiatives, and collaborative responses, moving forward.”