WCW26

Prince Albert’s Raw Water Pump House is situated on the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River and draws river water through an existing open‑orifice intake structure to supply the City’s water treatment, storage, and distribution systems. Designed in 2019 and substantially completed in 2022, the facility required the design of multiple process systems beyond conventional raw water pumping to support reliable year‑round operation. 


Because the intake lacks end‑of‑pipe screening, multiple resident fish species are drawn into the facility. To comply with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish‑protection requirements, the design team evaluated and integrated systems capable of low‑shear handling, separation, and safe return of live fish to the river. These evaluations included assessment of hydraulic conveyance velocities, physical barriers, behavioral barriers, bypass routing, fish‑handling equipment, and operational controls to avoid impingement and entrainment hazards.


The River also transports significant quantities of organic debris (branches, leaves, vegetation) along with suspended solids including sand, silt, and fine sediments. The facility therefore required both primary sedimentation capacity and an automated solids‑handling process that minimized operator intervention while providing an environmentally compliant means of solids removal and disposal. 


A major seasonal risk factor is frazil ice formation. During early winter, supercooled flow conditions in the North Saskatchewan River leads to the generation of frazil ice crystals, which can accumulate within the intake pipeline and form bridging blockages that restrict or entirely obstruct raw water flow. The design incorporated a frazil‑ice mitigation and management system capable of maintaining hydraulic capacity during high‑risk periods.


In 2023, the Raw Water Pump House was recognized by the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Saskatchewan for its innovative integration of fish‑protection systems and its robust design approach to managing frazil ice, high sediment loads, organic debris, and river flooding events.