Drought-devastated southwestern Saskatchewan will soon see relief through a government program aimed at developing emergency and long-term water supplies.
Provincial agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud recently announced details of the $6 million Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Program that had previously been announced in the budget.
An advisory committee comprising Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities president David Marit of Coronach, SARM director Doug Steele of Gull Lake and rancher Larry Grant of Val Marie developed the program with provincial officials.
Forty-seven rural municipalities are eligible to participate. Another 18 RMs adjacent to the worst areas may ask to be included.
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The program will be administered through the RMs and includes emergency community projects, an on-farm component and community wells.
“This program is going to be flexible,” Bjornerud said.
The emergency projects will provide short-term and temporary water supplies for immediate relief. They could include pumps in reservoirs, temporary tank loading facilities and adaptation of existing wells to supply non-potable water.
The program will pay up to half of eligible costs, to a maximum of $10,000 per project. Eligible costs include work and equipment associated with emergency pumping and facilities, developing roads or access, and providing power to a site.
Application deadline is June 17.
Bjornerud said the on-farm component will build on the federal Canada-Saskatchewan Water Supply Expansion Program (CSWSEP), a $3.5 million program that supports large and small diameter wells and shallow and deep buried pipelines.
Saskatchewan will top up grants approved under CSWSEP. Total government grants will be no more than half the eligible project cost to a maximum of $60,000 for deep pipelines.
Projects approved by CSWSEP before the May 30 deadline will automatically be approved for the provincial top-up. Projects started before the deadline could still be eligible for provincial funding. Its deadline is June 30.
The province will also pay up to two-thirds of the eligible costs of community wells for non-potable water. The deadline is also June 30.
Applications should be made to the agriculture ministry’s financial programs branch. A committee will examine and approve applications.
Bjornerud said he has asked federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz if Ottawa would consider adding more money to the program.
“That possibility is there,” he said.
“I told him we need more and I think he agrees with us.”
Bjornerud now expects producers to use the program.
“I guess this program, to me, would be somewhat of a failure if we get to this fall and we’ve still got half the money sitting there.”
Marit said he doesn’t think that will be a problem.
“I think we’re not going to have a problem using the money,” he said.
“I think the uptake from municipalities is going to be fantastic.”
Municipalities will take over the community wells once they are in place.
Marit also said the advisory committee may hire a resource person with 45 years of well drilling experience to help people with their projects.
Steele added some communities are experiencing extreme strain on their water supplies because of demand.
“If we can go outside and identify aquifers and stuff and get them developed so that the ranchers and farmers can go out and get the water, it’ll put a little less stress on their systems,” he said.
“They’re really pumped about it.”
Bjornerud said he hopes the program could be made a permanent part of the budget.
For more information, phone 877-874-5365.
