One of the things discussed at city council at the beginning of the week surrounds the topic of our water source in Estevan. Right now, the water that runs through your taps is sourced out of Boundary Dam, but some changes to the water treatment guidelines in Canada now measure a substance in the water known as 'Trihalomethanes' (or THM), which is a substance formed when things like chlorine react with organic substances in the water. 

"That causes a disinfection biproduct that we have to be under a hundred (equal to 0.1mg/L) on, and currently we're above," says Water and Waste Manager for the City of Estevan Shane Buscis says. "The water source currently with Boundary Dam is high in organics and carbon, so when we switch Rafferty Water, it will have less organics in it as well it's a clearer source and less hard."

THM's can potentially be dangerous in certain quantities, but in the water we drink on a day to day basis, the amounts are small enough that even being slightly over the guidelines is still no risk at all, so Estevan residents have nothing to fear.

"It is deemed as potentially harmful, it's from some new Water Security Agency Guidelines that have come down that it's something we have to achieve. It's nothing like it's poisonous water or anything like that, it's just that we have to be under these guidelines for better quality of water."

When it comes to how long the project is slated to take, it won't be much longer before construction starts up. Phase one is slated to start next week and be finished by the end of April, with phases two and three ending before summer of 2020.

"The tenders will be sent out in the summer time for the continuation of the pipeline as well as the intake building and the intake into the Rafferty Reservoir."

For more information surrounding the tenders and the company building the pipeline, read more below.

READ MORE: City Council Passed The 2019 Budget

When it comes to the cost and the budget of this project, the city is saving an extra $1.3 million cheaper than the original tenders were forecasting, meaning the final costs should be around the $8 million mark.

During the construction of the project, there should be next to no water disruption, and as well of note there will be roadside construction near Rafferty Dam and the project's home, so take caution starting next week that there will be more heavy machinery in the area.