2020 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
WATER RESOURCES
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Dawson City Water Treatment Plant
Associated Engineering
Dawson City’s water treatment plant is a model for efficiency, using renewable energy for heating and power. As the largest facility anywhere in Western Canada with cartridge filtration, it provides robust treatment for a community of 1,400 that typically swells to more than 5,000 during the summer. And the new facility’s landmark architecture reflects the town’s character and history.
“The plant was completed with lots of care and good engineering techniques.” –Jury 44
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Opportunities for improvement When the town’s 40-year-old treatment plant for drinking water was struggling to meet Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, the Yukon Government sought to replace the aging facility. The new facility needed
to treat water drawn from four wells near the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike Rivers, as groundwater supply there is at risk to contamination. The Yukon retained Associated Engineering to provide design and construction services for a new plant. After evaluating various processes, the design team recommended cartridge filtration as appropriate for the groundwater source, which is low in turbidity and colour. The technology is simple to operate and eliminates the need for chemicals typically used in traditional water treatment systems. Since they are washable and reusable, the cartridges only need to be replaced about twice a year, a significant benefit given Dawson City’s
October/November 2020
2020-10-05 9:16 AM
