Utilities

Saskatchewan’s electricity generation and distribution network is owned by the provincial Crown corporation, SaskPower, which has the exclusive right and the exclusive obligation to supply electricity in the province, except in the certain areas of the City of Saskatoon, which is serviced by Saskatoon Light & Power.

 

SaskPower has a generating capacity of 3,206 megawatts (MW) from 16 generating facilities, including three coal-fired base load facilities, four natural gas-fired facilities, seven hydroelectric facilities, and two wind power facilities. An additional 449 MW is available through long-term power purchase agreements with independent power producers, for a total available capacity of approximately 3,655 MW.

 

 

SaskEnergy delivers natural gas to more than 336,000 residential, farm, commercial and industrial customers throughout Saskatchewan. SaskEnergy purchases natural gas from independent suppliers and transports it through our 65,000-kilometer distribution system to 92% of Saskatchewan communities.

 

Natural gas is a sound choice for an environmentally friendly economy. For an equivalent amount of heat, burning natural gas produces about 30% less carbon dioxide than burning petroleum and about 45% less than burning coal.

 

 

The City of Saskatoon Water System provides safe reliable drinking water to a variety of customers. It serves over 90,000 residential customers, 6,000 industrial, commercial and institutional customers.(UNCONFIRMED) In order to provide this valuable resource to all these customers, the City of Saskatoon operates, maintains and enhances a world class utility with a complex system of treatment plants, water mains, reservoirs and pump stations.

 

The source for Saskatoon’s drinking water is the South Saskatchewan River, which flows through the city. The Saskatoon Water Treatment Plant, which contains a laboratory accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, conducts over 50,000 water quality tests a year, using state of the art equipment, to ensure that Saskatoon’s drinking water is clean and safe.

 

 

The Saskatoon Wastewater Treatment Plant protects the people, property, and environment downstream from Saskatoon along the South Saskatchewan River by collecting and treating wastewater from residences, schools, hospitals, businesses, and industries. The Plant is designated as a Class 4 treatment facility, the highest level of certification in Canada. The treatment of wastewater is regulated by rigid provincial and national standards.

 

Currently, the Plant processes on average 100 million litres of wastewater a day with a maximum capacity of 180 million litres per day; by 2016, it will receive an average of 120 million litres a day. To continue to protect the environment by producing a clean, high quality effluent and to accommodate Saskatoon's growing population, the Plant is expanding over the next seven years.

 

 

The City of Saskatoon is the primary agency responsible for residential waste collection in Saskatoon. The City uses a predominantly automated waste collection system for collection from residential and commercial sites, consisting of seventeen vehicles, one of which is dedicated to the collection of recyclables from depots. The City of Saskatoon is one of several organizations providing collection service to commercial businesses. These businesses may contract with the City for service of privately-owned or City-rented bins, or enter a contract with private haulers who provide bin rental and collection service.

 

Recycling facilities in Saskatoon accept newsprint, corrugated cardboard, mixed papers, tin cans, milk jugs and cartons, and non-refillable beverage containers. The City also operates two windrow yard waste composting areas, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (SWRC). The SWRC also provides collection areas for recyclables including scrap metals; propane tanks; automotive batteries; automotive engine oil; filters and containers; newspaper and cardboard; beverage containers; and leaves and grass. Residents can also drop off white goods and appliances.