Municipality of Sioux Lookout

Public Works Treatment Plants

Acting Public Works Plant Supervisor: Dan Perron
Phone: 807-737-1664
Fax: 807-737-2154
Email: dperron@siouxlookout.ca

or

Public Works Manager: Mario Rasetti
Phone: 807-737-1234
Fax: 807-737-3588
Email: mrasetti@siouxlookout.ca

Water and Sewer

Urban Sioux Lookout has an excellent system of Water and Sewage Treatment Plants, distribution systems, and collection systems for sewer, potable water, and storm sewers.

The urban Sioux Lookout Sewage Treatment Plant was built in 1994, and is capable of handling 500,000 gallons of raw sewage each day. Sewage disposal in Hudson is by means of on-site sewage disposal systems (septic fields) that are privately owned and maintained by the landholder.

The Town pumps in and out its waters from Pelican Lake. The Water Treatment Plant, which was put into operation in 1999, has Zenon ultra-filtration membranes with chemical treatment to remove organic colour. Pelican Lake water is transformed into clear blue water that is safe to drink.

Sioux Lookout Water Treatment Plant

The new system produces 5200m3 (or 1.1 million gallons) of treated water per day and is able to provide enough water for the future. Currently the Town produces, on average, 500,000 to 600,000 gallons of treated water a day, depending on the season. The water is pumped from Pelican Lake where the colour is removed, along with the Cryptosporidium, through ultra-filtration. Then, chlorine and fluorine are added to the water. The new plant is a computerized "state of the art" water treatment plant that supplies urban Sioux Lookout with the cleanest drinking water possible.

The Municipality wanted something different from the expected utilitarian building that usually houses water treatment plants. The design of the plant is a 44 x 118 foot building that looks like a beautiful railway station, complete with cottage-style roof and eave braces. The Water Treatment Plant is stationed in the prominent Drew P. Jeffries Park on Wellington Street; it is a building that everyone can admire. The steam engine that was in the park now stands proudly in front of the new Water Treatment Plant.

The Municipality of Sioux Lookout built the Water Treatment Plant using leading-edge technology, and is very proud of the building that was created to depict Sioux Lookout’s beginning as a CN railway town.

Hudson is serviced by a communal water system that is administered by the Municipality of Sioux Lookout. The design capacity is for 1,100 m3 per day and it pumps 1,584,000 litres per day. Water is chlorinated and distributed by means of a pumping system, as there is no reservoir or elevated storage. The system is designed for fire flows, although this requires the pump house to be manned during a fire. Potential improvements could include treatment and storage.

The rural area is serviced by on-site water supply (wells) and sewage disposal systems (septic fields).

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FAQs

Water & Sewer:

Why are my water bills so high?

• Do you have any fixtures or taps leaking inside your house?
• Do you know where your water meter is located in your house? If you do, one way to check for leaks is: ensure no one is using water in the house-go to your water meter- if it is a new one, there will be a "red triangle" on the face of the meter - if it is moving and no one in the house is using the water, you have a leak.
• Toilets are the most likely item to be causing the high water consumption. One way to test a toilet is to drop some food coloring into the toilet tank. If the water inside the bowl changes color over a period of 15 to 30 minutes, the toilet is by-passing. This needs to be corrected by calling a plumber.
• Has there been an increase in the number of people in the house? More people means higher water consumption.
• Is the outside tap shut off? Spray nozzles leak. Watering lawns and gardens during the day uses a lot of water, try watering in the early morning or late evening.

My water is frozen-what do I do?

Call the Public Works Department directly, at 737-1234; or 738- 1311 (Public Works Supervisor's cell ) or after hours 737-0324 (WTP on-call) or 737-0314 (distribution).

What do I do if my sewer backs up?

Sewer and water is a user pay system therefore if you have a private (rural) system, all charges associated with work orders will be charged back to the homeowner/renter. If you are connected to the municipal sewer and the sewer problem is on property owned by you, you will be charged. If the problem affecting your sewer is on municipal property, you won't be charged. Work orders are subject to all charges and if they are after hours, overtime rates apply to the bill.

Is it backing up when you use everything? (ie: Toilets bathtub, kitchen sink, bathroom sink and washing machine). If it only backs up while using the washing machine, it’s probably an internal problem which needs to be looked at by a plumber. If a Municipal employee is dispatched to check an internal problem, there is a service charge involved. Please call our Public Works Department at 737-1234 for further information.

Someone has to be home before we will go into the house to do work on a sewer line. The homeowner is responsible for this.

Is there a cost for cleaning out sewer lines?

Yes- Staff time and equipment after hours are subject to over time.

Do you pump out septic tanks?

No- Call M&M Sewage at 737-1058.

Do you install sewer and water systems?

Yes- We install sewer and water within urban Sioux Lookout and water in Hudson. Please call us at 737-1234.

How do I have my water turned on or off?

Call our Public Works Department at 737-1234. The cost is $45.50 each way. ($91.00 off/on)

How do I have a water meter installed?

Call our Public Works Department at 737-1234 and we will make arrangements with you for the installation.

Did you know ???

showers and baths account for 35% of water use in the home

toilet flushing accounts for 30%

laundry accounts for 20%

kitchen and drinking accounts for 10%, and

cleaning accounts for 5%

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