Region of Waterloo unveils new portable water unit for Mannheim Service Area

Kenneth Brothers, interim commissioner of water and wastewater at the Region of Waterloo, addresses the media at a press conference on Tuesday in Cambridge. Regional Chair Karen Redman and Laminar Water CEO Fraser Kent were also on hand for the announcement. Lee Griffi photo

By Lee Griffi

The Region of Waterloo has unveiled a portable water treatment unit to increase water capacity in the Mannheim Service Area, a move officials said will allow development to continue.

Laminar Water in Cambridge has built the first 53-foot unit that will treat water flowing from the Grand River to the Mannheim water treatment plant. The technology inside the unit filters solids out of drinking water to keep it safe. It will be hooked up to the plant, so the region can treat more water while permanent upgrades are completed. 

“This unit is a made-in-Waterloo Region solution that will help us get new water online sooner,” said Region of Waterloo Chair Karen Redman. “It is one of the ways that council and the region responded quickly and creatively to the water capacity challenge. While this work is underway, we continue to move forward with more solutions that increase capacity, protect our communities and support growth while fast-tracking repairs and renewal projects in partnership with our municipal and provincial colleagues.”    

Through the first unit, up to 50 litres per second (L/s) of new water capacity could be added by the end of the year. Three more containers will be up and running by next summer, meaning the new capacity will jump to 300 L/s. The region said the move could provide up to half the new capacity needed to support forecasted growth by 2032. Upgrades to the Mannheim water treatment plant are expected to be completed by 2031.

“A project like this would typically take more than four years to complete,” said Kenneth Brothers, interim commissioner of water and wastewater for the region. “We’re getting all of it done, from design and engineering to construction and operation, in 18 months or less. This mobile system allows us to add capacity much sooner than traditional infrastructure timelines.” 

The first unit will be delivered to the Mannheim water treatment plant next month as crews continue to prepare the site for the mobile system. This work includes installing piping and steel posts that anchor and support each 100,000-pound container.  

This project is one of many solutions moving forward simultaneously to stabilize the water system in the Mannheim Service Area and support growth. What the plan doesn’t do is help Wilmot Township residents with private wells who are experiencing water shortages.

“We have ongoing, comprehensive well testing in Wilmot, and we are completely sensitized to the issues there. We understand what’s important in Wilmot,” said Brothers. “We are looking at how we can improve the well monitoring (there), we’re keeping our eye on the ball out there in terms of the quality and the quantity of water.”

Brothers added they understand the concerns of residents, particularly those with shallow wells, and said he has been meeting personally with some of those affected.

“We have some appeals from well interference. That’s one of our major ongoing activities today out there. Let me tell you that the region is completely aware of the concerns in the community, and we are doing everything we can to provide the balance of water extraction and the balance of growth and sustainability throughout the community.”

The next step in the region’s water saga is a report coming to a June 3 council meeting, something the community is anxiously waiting for. Brothers said it amounts to an interim risk-management framework.

“We are looking at all of the inputs or additional sources of (water) supply. We are bringing back online some different wells that have been down for maintenance. It will be a comprehensive assessment to see how we can manage the water supply moving forward,” said Brothers.

He added the region still doesn’t have the water it needs to allow development to proceed without restrictions, but some may be allowed to move forward once the report is released.

“We are also evaluating other opportunities to bring on other sources of supply, how we can manage consumption and also how we can reduce leakage in the system with a combination of a number of factors that we need to bring to bear … while keeping the eye on the ball of water quality, water quantity and sustainable growth,” said Brothers.

The water-filtration containers are typically seen in remote communities that do not have water-filtration systems and are often deployed during emergency and natural-disaster situations.