The Village of Pilger celebrated the opening of a new water treatment plant with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, September 21.
The completion of the new plant marks a significant milestone for the village and its residents, made possible through funding from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The Government of Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Village of Pilger all played a crucial role in this project, investing a combined total of $426,000.
On hand was Pilger Mayor Ardean Bregenser who said the key improvement has been to upgrade the system to a reverse osmosis system from a filtration system. With a plentiful supply of well water, the improvement in quality has been noticeable.
“We have a deep well, and we’ve been working with what you could call difficult water, and this has provided a huge upgrade. We’ve always had potable water, but now we have potable water that we feel we want to consume.”
Bregenser says there has been a consistent influx of residents to the community and the improvements in water quality will continue to make the village, north of Humboldt on Highway 20, an excellent choice for people to live.
“Reliable and sustainable drinking water infrastructure is one of the foundations of a well-functioning community,” said the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, PrairiesCan and CanNor, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. The statement was issued in a press release. “With the improvements to the water treatment plant, the Village of Pilger is taking a significant step towards ensuring the well-being of its environment and the sustainability of its vital infrastructure."
This critical community project includes installing reverse osmosis filtration, chemical feed, distribution piping, and associated electrical, mechanical, and civil works. The improved water treatment plant will meet and exceed provincial drinking water quality standards while accommodating growth and renewal for new residential or commercial developments.
Pilger Councillor Ileen Urlin passed on congratulations and thanks on behalf of the Village.
The Village of Pilger thanks our federal and provincial governments for showing their support of our small community," said Urlin. “We also acknowledge the hard work of our engineers, Pinter and Associates, and our General Contractor, Suer and Pollon, both Saskatchewan companies, who brought the project to completion.”
MLA Delbert Kirsch also joined in to express his congratulations on the improvements that would help keep Pilger on track toward growth.