REGINA — SaskWater completed several major projects in 2021-21 despite the pandemic, leaving the Crown corporation confident in its position to support the province moving forward.
“The past year has pushed SaskWater to adapt and innovate, but it never faltered in its commitment to deliver safe, reliable water and wastewater services across Saskatchewan,” said Minister Responsible for SaskWater Don Morgan.
SaskWater said there were no pandemic-related service interruptions reported during this year, with crews adapting to health and safety protocols with little fanfare.
Public health measures reduced some expenses, said the Crown, like travel and training costs. It also deferred some non-essential repairs and maintenance due to the physical distancing and gathering size requirements.
SaskWater’s annual report showed the corporation’s earnings totaled $7.9 million for the past fiscal year, a decrease from the previous year which saw $8.5 million.
Total revenue in 2020-21 reached $63.3 million, an increase of 6.4 per cent over last year, with operating expenses totaling $52.6 million. This year’s annual dividend payment to the province will be $6.26 million.
The Crown provided 8.3 billion litres of drinking water through regional and stand-alone systems and 34.8 billion litres of non-potable water in 2020-21.
The several projects completed by SaskWater in the past year include a $9.4 million expansion upgrade of the regional water treatment plant in Melfort and a $3.4 million expansion of the Pierceland wastewater lagoon.
Both of these completed projects were partially funded by the New Building Canada Fund (NBCF).
A total of $17.1 million was spent on capital projects, according to the report, with SaskWater providing $9.7 million of those investments.
This year’s projects served to provide investment dollars into the provincial economy, said the Crown’s report, and “increased the potential for growth and opportunity in various Saskatchewan communities.”
SaskWater also secured partial funding for several more projects moving forward, including a new potable water source for Edenwold and replacement of a pipeline segment on the Saskatoon East Potable water system.
Funding for these projects comes from the federal-provincial Investing in Canada Plan, said the report.
The Edenwold project is estimated to cost $2.4 million, with grants covering up to 74 per cent of cost. Saskatoon’s three-kilometre pipeline replacement has a price tag of $3.4 million, with up to $2.5 million covered by federal and provincial government funding.
Construction in Edenwold is already underway, and Saskatoon is expected to begin this summer.
The NBCF is also funding SaskWater’s agreement to provide potable water to the City of Lloydminster’s upcoming Prairie North Regional Potable Water Supply System.
The current strategic plan at SaskWater also concluded this year, showing exponential growth since its implementation in 2014. A new strategic plan was approved by the operating board in October 2020 and will now guide the Crown’s development through to 2026-27.
The focus will continue to be on regionalization, as SaskWater works to identify rural areas of the province in need of a new water supply or significant upgrades to existing infrastructure.
Predicted earnings for 2021-22 are expected to be $7 million, in line with SaskPower’s long-term return on equity, and capital expenditures are anticipated at $23.7 million.
