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Foothills Okotoks Regional Water Project Receives $14.2 Million Provincial Funding Boost

UDPATE Oct 2023

The Foothills Okotoks Regional Water Project has received a $14.2 million boost in funding through the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership (AMWWP) Water for Life program. The AMWWP provides cost-shared funding to eligible municipalities to help build municipal facilities’ water supply and treatment.

The $14.2 million is in addition to the nearly $16 million in provincial grant funding that was announced in July of 2022. 

The pipeline will feed from where the Highwood River meets the Bow River into water treatment facilities in Okotoks and Foothills County. The primary water source for Okotoks will continue to be the Sheep River, while the pipeline will serve the growing population in Okotoks as a supplemental water source.

Read the media release

Town of Okotoks and Foothills County Water Collaboration Update

The Foothills Okotoks Regional Water Project (Project), a partnership between the Town of Okotoks and Foothills County, continues to positively progress.

Project Status

  • The proposed water system includes a water main, reservoir, pump station, and intake.
  • The location of the facilities have been determined through engineering analysis of costs, environmental considerations, and operational efficiencies.
  • The Town has purchased a site for an above-ground raw water reservoir and pump station.
  • Preliminary design work is complete.
  • The Town of Okotoks and Foothills County will receive $16M in provincial Water for Life Grant funding to construct a raw water pipeline as part of the Foothills Okotoks Regional Water Project. Water will be pumped from the Bow River where it meets the Highwood River through a shared water system to treatment facilities in both municipalities. Read the full news release & view announcement video below.
  • The proposed funding for municipal shares of the project could potentially be 100 percent financed through grants and off-site levies, which are charged to developers to pay for infrastructure required to support growth.

Next Steps

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To provide a brief project summary, raw water will be pumped from the Bow River where it meets the Highwood River through a shared water system to water treatment facilities in both municipalities. The water system is an essential water management strategy that will increase water supply system resiliency and reduce water supply vulnerability for the region.

The objectives of the Project are to provide safe and secure drinking water to the region and support the growing water needs of new residential growth and business development in Okotoks and Foothills County. A regional water system will also mitigate water resource constraints and pressure on challenged rivers and will help reduce the number of additional water supply wells needed in Foothills County in the project area.

Click the buttons below to review the background, current status and next steps for the Foothills Okotoks Regional Water Project.

Okotoks Water Supply and Resiliency Presentation

Foothills Okotoks Regional Water Project Presentation

Background Information

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