Understanding Revelstoke

Have you ever wondered where Revelstoke water comes from and where it goes after it’s been used? Revelstoke’s water comes from the Greeley watershed, which receives some of the highest snowfalls in North America. Located east of Revelstoke behind Mt. Mackenzie, the watershed covers almost 50 square km. Snowmelt is collected in Greeley Creek then flows toward the Illecillewaet River.

Water for city consumption is diverted from the creek into two ponds, where the larger suspended particles settle out. From the settling ponds, water enters the treatment plant, where continuous micro-filtration removes pathogens and bacteria. To comply with the provincial Drinking Water Protection Act and related regulations, small amounts of chlorine are added to kill any viruses and leave a 0.2 mg/L chlorine residual in the distribution system.

From the Greeley Creek Treatment Plant, water enters one of two pathways into the city. One is through the Trans Canada Highway reservoir, while the other is through the pressure-reducing valve that diverts water to Arrow Heights and the new reservoir. Treated water travels through about 100 km of water mains throughout the city. There are more than 2700 water services and 250 fire hydrants in the City of Revelstoke.

Water that goes down the drain is then classified as wastewater. Revelstoke’s wastewater system has roughly 50 km of sewer mains and seven lift stations located around the city. Wastewater travels through the collection system and ends up at treatment lagoons. It takes 20 days for wastewater to pass through both ponds, where it encounters aerobic (oxygenated) conditions. Chlorine is added to lagoon effluent as a final treatment before being discharged into the Illecillewaet River.

For more information contact Revelstoke’s Public Works Department at 250-837-2001 or info@cityofrevelstoke.com