Canmore

EPCOR has provided water and wastewater services to the Town of Canmore for more than 20 years. Our current 10-year utility management agreement with the Town runs until 2030. We also offer retail power and natural gas services. 

Services provided 

• Water and wastewater: 
  • Water and wastewater treatment
  • Water distribution
  • Wastewater collection
  • Storm water collection
  • Bio-solids composting
  • Meter reading
  • Capital project management
• Electricity retail: 
  • Competitive power plans through Encor by EPCOR
  • Regulated power 
  • Meter reading, billing and customer care for customers who choose one of the above options 
• Competitive natural gas plans through Encor by EPCOR

About the systems 

Canmore’s water treatment and distribution system uses two separate pumphouses — one drawing from groundwater and the other from the Rundle Forebay surface water treatment plant. The groundwater pumphouse treats water with chlorine before distribution to homes and businesses, while water from Rundle Forebay is treated through a combination of chemical coagulation using alum, chlorine injection, gravity filtration and UV disinfection. 

The community’s wastewater is treated in a Level III tertiary system with a maximum discharge of 22 megalitres per day. The system uses biological aerated filtration, 11 sanitary lift stations, and a supervisory control and data acquisition system that alerts our on-call plant operators in the event of a critical alarm. 

Canmore is located within the Bow River watershed and draws its drinking water from both surface and groundwater sources in almost equal quantities. The community’s groundwater supply is fairly well protected because it sits downstream of Banff National Park. The main water quality concerns are risks from recreational activities and transportation spills. 

The stormwater system must contend with a high water table and runoff from nearby railways and highways. The town is currently investigating whether the groundwater supply is influenced by surface water. 

Figures of note 

• 18,000: Population served 
• 100+ km: Water distribution pipes  

Operating model 

EPCOR’s services in Canmore are rendered under an Operations & Maintenance model through a utility management agreement with a 10-year term. The current agreement runs until 2030.