Calgary pumping stations bolster water supply for southwestern parts of the city – constructconnect.com

Report on New Water Infrastructure and Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Project Completion and Strategic Objectives

The City of Calgary has concluded the construction and commissioning phase for two critical water infrastructure projects: the Starlight Pump Station and the 210 Avenue Pump Station. These developments are integral to the city’s strategy for managing population growth and directly support the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to water, infrastructure, and sustainable communities.

The primary functions of these stations are to bolster the municipal water supply, maintain consistent water pressure for distribution, and build redundancy into the existing network, thereby enhancing urban resilience.

Detailed Project Specifications

The two new operational facilities provide a significant increase in water distribution capacity.

1. Starlight Pump Station
   • Location: Alpine Park (new south community)
   • Added Capacity: 30 million litres of drinking water per day
   • Population Supported: Approximately 9,000 new homes
   • Strategic Importance: Serves as the sole water source for its designated area, highlighting its critical role in community development.
2. 210 Avenue Pump Station
   • Location: Creekside (southwest community)
   • Added Capacity: 20 million litres of drinking water per day
   • Population Supported: Up to 6,000 new homes
   • Strategic Importance: Enhances system-wide resilience by allowing other regional pump stations to be taken offline for essential maintenance without disrupting service.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This infrastructure investment makes substantial contributions to global sustainability targets.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Target 6.1: The project directly advances the goal of achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by expanding service capacity to accommodate thousands of new households.
• System Reliability: By increasing the supply and ensuring its consistent distribution, the city reinforces the availability of clean water, a cornerstone of public health and sanitation.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.1: The pump stations provide the basic services necessary to support access to adequate, safe, and affordable housing for Calgary’s growing population.
• Target 11.5: The added redundancy from the 210 Avenue Pump Station strengthens the resilience of the water distribution system against potential disruptions, making the community safer and more sustainable.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• Target 9.1: The development of these pump stations represents a key investment in quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, which is fundamental to supporting economic development and human well-being.

Project Timeline and Conclusion

Construction on both pump stations commenced approximately two and a half years prior to completion. Following a recent and successful commissioning process, both facilities are now fully operational. This achievement marks a significant step forward in ensuring Calgary’s water infrastructure is robust, resilient, and capable of supporting sustainable urban growth in alignment with key UN Sustainable Development Goals.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on Calgary’s new water pump stations addresses and connects to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  This is the most direct SDG addressed. The entire article focuses on infrastructure built to “increase the supply of drinking water” and ensure its effective distribution to residents and businesses.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  The article details the construction and commissioning of new infrastructure—the Starlight and 210 Avenue Pump Stations. This relates to developing “quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure” to support community needs.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The project’s purpose is to support “Calgary’s growing population” and provide essential services to new and existing communities, including neighboring ones. This directly contributes to making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the following specific targets can be identified:

1. Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.

   The article highlights that the new pump stations are essential for “distributing water to homes, businesses and neighbouring communities.” The project explicitly aims to increase the drinking water supply to support a growing population, directly aligning with the goal of achieving access to safe drinking water.

2. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support economic development and human well-being.

   The construction of the two pump stations is a clear example of developing new infrastructure. The article emphasizes their role in adding “redundancy to the water distribution system,” which enhances the system’s reliability and resilience. This infrastructure is crucial for supporting the well-being of residents in Calgary and surrounding areas.

3. Target 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services.

   The provision of a reliable water supply is a fundamental basic service required for adequate housing. The article states that the Starlight Pump Station “supports an additional 9,000 homes” and the 210 Avenue Pump Station “supports up to 6,000 new homes,” directly linking the infrastructure project to the provision of basic services for housing.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• For Target 6.1 (Access to drinking water):

  The article provides specific metrics that serve as indicators of increased access to safely managed drinking water services. These include:

  • The additional capacity of drinking water provided: “an additional 30 million litres per day” from the Starlight station and “an additional 20 million litres of drinking water per day” from the 210 Avenue station.
  • The number of households with new or secured access: The project supports a total of 15,000 homes (9,000 from Starlight and 6,000 from 210 Avenue).

• For Target 9.1 (Resilient infrastructure):

  Progress towards this target is indicated by:

  • The completion and operational status of new infrastructure: The article states that “construction and commissioning for two new pump stations” is complete and “both are now operational.”
  • Enhanced system resilience: The article explicitly mentions that the 210 Avenue station “allows other pump stations in the region to be taken offline for maintenance while continuing to meet increasing water demands,” which is a direct indicator of increased system redundancy and resilience.

• For Target 11.1 (Access to basic services):

  The primary indicator mentioned is the number of housing units supported by the new basic service infrastructure. The article specifies that the project supports “an additional 9,000 homes” and “up to 6,000 new homes,” which directly measures the expansion of basic services to the urban population.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: canada.constructconnect.com