Prince Albert city council will turn its attention back to drinking water Monday, with a proposed study of the Water Treatment Plant’s ability to handle contamination among the leading items before executive committee.
Administration is recommending a $44,185 budget for an engineering assessment of contaminants the plant can remove or inactivate using its existing treatment process. KGS Group is recommended for the $39,185.11 contract, with another $5,000 set aside for possible additional work.
The item comes after weeks of concern from Prince Albert residents over earthy or musty taste and odour in the city’s drinking water. The report, however, frames the proposed study around preparation for future contamination events rather than the recent taste and odour complaints.
The City’s treatment plant draws from the North Saskatchewan River, and administration says Prince Albert does not currently have a consolidated engineering assessment showing how the system would handle a broader range of contaminants, including emerging contaminants or substances entering the river following an upstream spill.
The report points to the 2016 Husky oil spill, which forced the City to shut down its raw water intake and resulted in more than $10 million in direct response costs. Prince Albert is working with Saskatoon and the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant on improving preparedness for similar events.
The study was initially estimated at $13,000, but the price rose to $39,185 following the request for proposals. Administration says the increase can be covered within the 2026 Utilities Operating Budget through salary and wage savings from staffing vacancies.
Acting Public Works Director Tim Earing is scheduled to present the report. City Manager Craig Guidinger confirmed Friday that former Public Works Director Jeff da Silva has resigned from the City. The circumstances of da Silva’s resignation are being covered separately by the Daily Herald.
Council will also consider a dispute involving the City’s expired Derelict Property Demolition Incentive Program.
Brian and Louella Martin, owners of 1025 River Street West, requested a one-time extension after saying they were given an application for the program months after it had expired. Administration is recommending the request be denied.
A City review acknowledged several problems with how the program’s Dec. 31, 2025 expiry was handled. Administration found the expiry was not consistently communicated between departments, the required program review was delayed, and application material remained accessible through the City’s website until June.
However, administration says the River Street property likely would not have qualified even if the program remained active. City records cited in the report show police responded to 40 calls at the address between December 2021 and May 2026, while the fire department responded to five fire-related incidents since 2019.
The issue arrives as council is already examining broader measures to deal with derelict and nuisance properties, including stronger financial incentives and penalties.
Other business Monday includes a proposal for a $20,000 feasibility study examining future fire station needs, locations and costs. Council will also consider two-hour parking restrictions on part of 25th Street West near the Victoria Hospital expansion and a four-hour limit at the Alfred Jenkins Field House.
The agenda also includes the City’s 2025 year-end financial report, which shows a combined operating surplus of approximately $4.8 million, along with a delegation proposing a municipal artificial intelligence initiative.
Executive committee meets Monday at 2 p.m. in council chambers.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
