Edmonton

EPCOR’s history in Edmonton stretches back to 1891 with the founding of the Edmonton Electric Lighting and Power Company. Much has changed since then, and yet our commitment to serving our communities remains the same. 

Today EPCOR serves more than one million people in Edmonton, treating water and wastewater, managing sanitary and stormwater collection services, and providing water, electricity and natural gas products for homes and businesses.  

Services provided 

• Water distribution and transmission and wastewater and stormwater collection and treatment:
  • Water treatment 
  • Water distribution and transmission
  • Wastewater treatment
  • Sanitary wastewater and stormwater collection and conveyance
  • Installing, maintaining and reading water meters in homes and businesses 
  • Administration of the Performance Based Regulation water and wastewater rates
  • Bulk water sales to more than 90 communities and counties through the Edmonton Region Water Service Area 
    • View Edmonton region water service area map
• Electricity distribution and transmission:
  • Delivery of power to homes and businesses 
  • Ownership, operation and maintenance of substations and transmission lines 
  • Maintaining, upgrading and expanding the distribution system 
  • Responding to power outages 
  • Installing, maintaining and reading power meters in homes and businesses 
  • Administration of the Distribution Tariff as required by the Alberta Electric Utilities Act 
• Electricity retail: 
  • Power purchased from Alberta’s wholesale market 
  • Competitive power plans across Alberta through Encor by EPCOR  
  • Regulated power 
• Competitive natural gas plans across Alberta through Encor by EPCOR 
• Billing 
• Customer care 

About the systems 

EPCOR operates three treatment plants in Edmonton: E.L. Smith Water Treatment Plant, Rossdale Water Treatment Plant and Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant (Learn more about the city’s sewer system). In addition, EPCOR distributes water to Edmonton homes and businesses. 

EPCOR buys power generated on Alberta’s wholesale market and distributes it to Edmonton homes and businesses. Through Encor by EPCOR, Edmontonians have choices. They can select competitive fixed or floating rates plans for their natural gas and electricity and also opt-in for green energy to shrink their carbon footprint.  

Figures of note 

Stormwater & Wastewater 

• 7,194 km: sewer pipes 
• 456,059: service connections 
• 89,997: manholes 
• 94: pump stations 
• 330: stormwater management facilities 

Water Treatment 

• 4,391 km: transmission and distribution mains 
• 272,467: active service connections 
• 22,757: hydrants 
• 13: reservoirs with a combined capacity of 811 megalitres 

Power Distribution 

• 401,695: residential customers 
• 40,340: non-residential customers 
• 6,890 km: primary electrical distribution lines 
• 32: transmission substations 

Operating model 

EPCOR operates the E.L. Smith and Rossdale Water Treatment Plants and the water distribution system under a build-own-operate model in perpetuity. The Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant operates under an own-operate model, also in perpetuity. 

EPCOR’s electricity distribution and transmission services are also run under an own-operate model in perpetuity. 

Drainage

Our responsibility for sewer servicing begins where your property ends. Your household plumbing is only the start of a massive sewer network.

This sewer network consist of 3 systems:

• Combined sewer - A system of sewers designed to collect and convey wastewater AND runoff from urban areas to the receiving stream or to a treatment plant if one is available.
• Storm sewer - A system of sewers designed to collect, store and convey runoff from urban areas to a receiving waterbody.
• Sanitary sewer - A system of sewers designed to collect and convey household and industrial wastewater from urban areas to a wastewater treatment plant (Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant).