Staff report dives into solutions for region’s water capacity issue

A new staff report is diving into potential solutions to address the water capacity constraints in a part of Waterloo Region.

Regional staff have been assessing the problem since it was first identified in the Mannheim Service Area, which supplies water to Kitchener, Waterloo, and parts of Cambridge, Woolwich, and Wilmot.

A new report outlines a preliminary list of solutions to resolve the issue, and it will be presented to council this week.

The list has short, medium, and long-term strategies, including an immediate investment to repair existing infrastructure, adding infrastructure like a new pumping station, and expanding existing well supply.

One approach involves piloting new modular technology at the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant, and there is a request for additional resources to be approved to expedite the selected solutions.

The Region of Waterloo continues to stress that there is enough water currently to meet the needs of residents.

“But the system has little capacity for planned and unplanned repairs and shutdowns,” said a regional release. “The constraint is based on our ability to pump, store, treat and distribute the water to where it is needed, in order to accommodate future growth alongside maintenance requirements.”

The staff report will be presented to local councillors at a meeting Wednesday night, set to begin at 7 p.m.