Utility begins flood-proofing project at Edmonton water-treatment plants

Edmonton's major utility provider is working to protect its water-treatment plants from flooding to ensure Albertans have clean drinking water during extreme weather.

Epcor says a major flood in Edmonton such as the disaster that destroyed 50 buildings, saw 700 homes submerged and displaced 2,000 people as it enveloped the city's North Saskatchewan river valley neighbourhoods in 1915, could leave a third of the province without clean drinking water.

It's proactively installing flood barriers at its Rossdale and E.L. Smith water-treatment plants.

The project is expected to take four years to complete.

More than 30 Indigenous groups have traditional connections to the Rossdale site.

Jed Johns of Epcor said ongoing consultations with the groups are taking place to ensure burial sites in the area are protected.

"During the ground disturbance or any excavations at Epcor, they will all be monitored by Indigenous monitors and have those elders and traditional knowledge-holders available to advise on proper protocol, ceremonies and next steps that need to be done if there is any other find," Johns said on Thursday.

Epcor says there are emergency plans in place for any severe flooding that may occur before the barriers are complete.