Lake Maxwell Water Works

The water supply source is Lake Maxwell. The intake includes two screens which are cleaned twice annually. NSSWD is currently the only surface water license holder drawing from the lake. There is no agricultural activity or permanent residence around the lake (only two seasonal cabins). As part of the Maxwell Watershed protection strategy, NSSWD prohibits swimming and other recreational activities in the watershed with several measures in place to mitigate public access (e.g. public education, partnerships, security, etc.); other inter-agency/collaborative watershed management strategies also in place. During the winter season (Nov-Mar) water may be diverted from Rippon Creek and Larmour Creek only if the creeks have low levels of parameters or nutrients that would not significantly impact the lake water quality (e.g. turbidity, phosphorous). The chlorination plant is secure. Currently, the only treatment in place is sodium hyperchlorination (produced by salt chlorine generators) permit conditions requires implementing treatment that meets provincial surface water treatment objectives by 2025. Treatment plant is inspected three times a week. While there is a back up power generator, it is only enough to support intake of the water and chlorination; not for chlorine production. The chlorine solution tanks have an approximate capacity of three days. From the chlorination plant, the water flows through the system via gravity with pressure reducing valves along the distribution. There is a monitoring station before the first water user with an online chlorine analyzer that automatically measures the free available chlorine every three minutes and a continuous online turbidimeter. There are approximately 900 connections supported by this system. As the chlorinated water goes to the distribution, some of the water goes directly to water users before entering the two reservoirs (39k and 100k USGal) no further downstream re-chlorination after reservoirs. Full water system flushing occurs every spring; flushing between Lake Maxwell and Shepherds Road also occurs in the fall. Reservoirs are inspected/cleaned annually. There is a pump/valve house where the Lake Maxwell water distribution and St. Mary Lake water distribution are interconnected. Currently the valves are closed. However, operators have reported that the valves have been switched open during previous instances when one water supply system is affected by algal bloom (or other water quality issues). EOCP certified operators on staff (two with level 1 WT/WD and four with Level 2 WT/WD). There are some written records of operations and maintenance. This includes manual measurements of chlorine residuals at the chlorination plant and throughout the Ganges. Treated water samples are tested for bacteriological water quality twice a month; recent results have been satisfactory. Source and treated water are tested for other parameters regularly, including but not limited to indicators of cyanobacterial blooms and disinfection byproducts. A letter was provided to operators regarding proposed changes to permit terms and conditions.