Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation is Celebrating the Water Treatment Plant’s 70th Anniversary
Regina, Moose Jaw (Tuesday November 18, 2025) - The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation is celebrating 70 years of delivering quality, safe and reliable water delivery to southern Saskatchewan.
Today Lumsden Morse MLA Blaine McLeod on behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan, Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski, Moose Jaw Mayor James Murdock, along with Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation Board Chair Patricia Warsaba and CEO Ryan Johnson officially unveiled a plaque commemorating the event.
“This is a major accomplishment! We all need to be extremely proud of the work that was done in building this plant to deliver water to nearly 25 per cent of Saskatchewan residents. We also need to recognize the work of so many Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant staff over the past 70 years who worked diligently to ensure residents in Southern Saskatchewan continued to have safe, quality, reliable water,” said Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation Board Chair Patricia Warsaba.
The plant currently supplies water to the Cities of Regina and Moose Jaw, SaskWater, and the Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, as well as to many communities in the Region, extending as far west as Mortlach, as far east as Sedley, as far south as Briercrest and as far north as Bethune. In total BPWTC supplies water to over 300,000 people within the region.
The BPWTP was commissioned in 1951 following extensive work with the federal and provincial governments, and the Cities of Regina and Moose Jaw. It began producing water in September,1954. The plant draws water from Buffalo Pound Lake, a shallow man-made reservoir on the Qu'Appelle River. Water levels in Buffalo Pound Lake are maintained by the release of water from the Qu'Appelle Dam on Lake Diefenbaker.
Over its lifetime, the Plant has been a leader in the delivery of high-quality drinking water. It has received numerous Water Quality Awards and has made significant progress in improving the quality of water provided to its customers. It was one of the first plants in Canada to pioneer the use of the Granular Activated Carbon filtration process for the removal of algae-produced taste and odour. The Corporation’s quality water successes are due in large part to the water treatment expertise of its employees.
The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant has undergone three major capacity and process improvements since its original construction. In 2018, the Provincial and Federal governments committed $20.6 million in grant funds under the Provincial Territorial Infrastructure Component (PTIC) of the New Building Canada Fund for upgrading of the electrical systems, and provision of back up power, at the Plant.
The plant is currently undergoing a renewal that will enable it to continue delivering water for at least the next 25 years and ensure the Corporation is able to meet its mandate long into the future.
In June of 2020, the Corporation announced the awarding of the Plant Renewal Design Contract, and on June 8, 2021, federal and provincial funding of $163.4M was announced for work on the Plant Renewal Project, under the Investing In Canada Infrastructure Program.
The Government of Canada has invested more than $89.13 million, the Government of Saskatchewan has provided more than $74.26 million toward the project's eligible costs, and the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation, owned by the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw, is responsible for any additional costs.
The Renewal Project is a substantial renovation of the water treatment plant which includes some renovations and some new construction, with the re-use of much of the plant’s former facilities and infrastructure.
“It’s exciting to be celebrating such an important milestone, while we are completing a renovation that will take this critically important facility to its 100th anniversary,” said BPWTC CEO, Ryan Johnson. “I want to thank both the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada for their commitment to ensuring the residents of Regina, Moose Jaw and area will continue to receive quality, safe and reliable water for many years to come.”
Help Serve Your Community: Join our Board of Directors
Though we operate a water treatment plant, we’re really in the business of health.
Yes, water is what we do. But our impact is so much bigger. A healthy water supply leads to healthy people. Healthy people create healthy communities. The work we do every day touches every citizen, every home, every school, every business, every living thing that relies on water.
We want you to help us do this good work by joining our Board of Directors.
We are currently seeking up to two individuals with board governance or senior executive experience to serve as members of our Board of Directors. This is an incredible opportunity for highly qualified individuals to serve Regina and Moose Jaw.
Benefits of becoming a Board Member include:
- Significant leadership and networking opportunities with a diverse group of professionals
- Ability to have real impact on a governance board
- Work with a strongly skilled and capable network of people
- Receive appropriate training to foster competency and growth
- Grow professionally through the technical, financial, and organizational challenges facing the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation through operations and growth
- Compensation in accordance with the Saskatchewan Crown Investments Corporation Tier 2 rate structure
We value diversity in our workforce and on our Board of Directors. This includes gender, ethnicity, orientation, occupation, and physical ability. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates in Regina or Moose Jaw before the application deadline of Friday October 31, 2025.
Recruitment Process
The recruitment process will involve a number of steps including:
- Application Submission
- Candidate Short-Listing
- Interview and Reference Checking
- Recommendation of Nominees to the City of Moose Jaw and City of Regina Councils
Please include the following information in your submission:
1. Cover letter which addresses the following questions:
- Why are you interested in serving as a Director for the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation?
- What are your areas of greatest expertise related to board governance? How will it serve the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation?
- What other Board Memberships do you currently hold?
- Are you aware of any potential conflict of interest you might encounter as a Board Member for the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation? If so, please provide details.
2. Attach a resume outlining your qualifications.
- Candidates are requested to identify all attributes, skills and experience they possess which have been identified in our Board Responsibilities.
Apply Today
To apply to be a member of the board, please email your completed application to:
Application deadline: Friday October 31, 2025
All applications will be acknowledged. Only those candidates who are short-listed will be contacted for further follow-up.
Successful candidates will need to provide a criminal record check.
Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation Advises of Short-term Reduction in Water Supply
Thursday, May 29, 2025 – The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation (BPWTC) is advising of a short-term reduction in the supply of water to its customers, including the Cities of Regina and Moose Jaw. BPWTC has identified an issue with the plant that it is currently addressing with on-site experts. Plant officials anticipate having the issue resolved over the next couple of days. The issue is the result of commissioning work underway on the renewed water treatment plant.
The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation Plant Renewal Project, which began in 2022, includes upgrading the main treatment plant, treatment processes and treatment technologies, as well as modernizing the facility with necessary redundancy. It is rejuvenating the plant, enabling it to meet the region’s forecasted potable water demands for the years ahead.
Last upgraded more than 30 years ago, the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant has now reached the end of its useful life. Water treatment plants typically require a major refurbishing every 25 to 30 years The Plant Renewal Project is expected to be completed and fully operational by mid 2026.
For more information, contact:
Virginia Wilkinson
Communications, BPWTC
306-530-9862
Telephone System Out of Service
The BPWTC is in the process of relocating to the new administration building. As such, the current telephone system is out of service.
The interim phone number is 306-631-7212.
You may also submit inquiries/comments to the Corporation via the website.
Thank you for your understanding.