Yellowknife’s new water treatment plant opened its doors to visitors for the first time on Monday.
The facility cost a fraction over $30 million to build and began operations this summer, just in time to end a weeks-long boil-water advisory across the city.
Such advisories should be a thing of the past as the new facility boasts an advanced water filtration system.
Moose FM took this photo tour with city staff.
Superintendent Scott Gillard and director of public works Chris Greencorn gave Moose FM a tour.The facility can handle 20 million litres of water per day, and could support more than 30,000 people.At the heart of the facility are new water filters, or membranes, which do a much better job of cleaning the city’s water than was previously the case.Scott Gillard holds up an example of the new water filtration system.Water passes through this filter, which helps to remove particles as tiny as one micron (one thousandth of a millimetre).Gillard believes the new filtration system makes boil-water advisories a thing of the past.These tanks contain sodium hypochlorite. This chemical replaces chlorine in the water cleaning process and is said to be a safer solution.The facility employs three staff and costs around $1.3 million to run each year. Testing of the water supply can be performed on-site.This instrument tests for turbidity, or how much silt and debris is in the water. (When Moose FM toured the facility, turbidity was at around 0.012 NTU. For context, the 2003 boil-water advisory in Yellowknife saw turbidity approach 50 NTU.)These screens are part of the small control centre in one corner of the building, from which operators can inspect the entire system.The next question for Yellowknife is where its water comes from. This is the view from the facility, looking out over Yellowknife Bay. The city could decide to draw water directly from the bay when its old pipe to Yellowknife River comes up for replacement, in the near future.If the city decides to pump water from Yellowknife Bay, contamination from the toxic remnants of nearby Giant Mine will be a concern. This bland corridor could form part of a new arsenic treatment installation if the city decides to go ahead with it.
The territorial Department of Environment and Climate Change issued their first break-up report for 2026 on Friday evening. Scientists with the department reported that following a “delayed start” snowmelt is “ongoing.” The data was collected over the last month up to 2 p.m. Friday and released at 7 p.m. by the GNWT.
The Government of the Northwest Territories broke ground in Fort Smith on the new Territorial Wildfire Centre building today, marking what they say is a new milestone in public safety investment.
As of Saturday, the aquatic centre in Yellowknife will officially have a new name. After opening about one year ago, the aquatic centre has eagerly awaited naming.
Young leaders from across the territory took the places of MLAs and Ministers at a mock session this week, bringing a voice to critical issues affecting communities of the North. “Representing your community in this chamber is a great honour and one that carries responsibility. You were all selected to be here because of your dedication, leadership and commitment to your schools, families and communities," said the N.W.T. Commissioner Gerald W. Kisoun
