Epcor invested $158 million in water treatment as climate demands grow
The utility is protecting plants against high-water events and expanding stormwater infrastructure as Edmonton braces for more extreme weather.
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As Edmonton grapples with unprecedented rainfall, the city's water utility is investing heavily in infrastructure to withstand increasingly severe weather.
Epcor invested $158 million in water treatment last year and is continuing to expand stormwater management infrastructure with more catch basins — systems that keep rainwater out of basements and sewage networks that can be overwhelmed by rapid rainfall. Two major treatment plants are under protection. The E.L. Smith water treatment plant is expected to be protected against a one-in-500 high water event by the end of 2026, and the Rossdale plant is expected to be finished in 2027.
On June 23, the city's utility committee approved an updated Epcor water services bylaw that added definition and rules for recycled water services and clarified the definition of potable water. The committee also heard that over the past four years, Epcor has exceeded expectations in all its scoring guides except one — the amount of solid waste removed from the Goldbar lagoon fell slightly short due to operational challenges. Water quality of effluent returned to the North Saskatchewan River remained well above target.
Epcor's linear asset director Tina Yanitski reported 310 water main breaks in 2025, with 30 per cent occurring in February. The worst breaks are in areas still using cast-iron pipes. The utility also completed the $76 million Duggan Tunnel project, which included a $30 million dry pond in Kenilworth and $40 million in sanitary and sewer separation. Epcor's proposed new performance framework will be finalized in November for approval next year.