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Water Source
Since 1957 Dried Meat Lake has been the sole source of
water for the City of Camrose. The Lake is the closest body of water capable of supporting the City's water needs.
Dried Meat Lake is a widened section of the Battle River System. It is approximately 0.6 km wide, 16 km long, and averages 3 m deep. Typical of many prairie lakes, Dried Meat Lake is rich in nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, and ammonia. Many of these nutrients are naturally occurring, however, agricultural activities and treated municipal discharges also contribute. The nutrients promote algae and weed growth in the lake, which can make treatment difficult.
The Camrose Water Treatment Plant incorporated several advanced treatment technologies to remove these nutrients and purify the water.
Alberta Environment regulates the amount of water the City of Camrose may draw from Dried Meat Lake. This ensures the lake's ecosystem is protected. Every 10 years Camrose must renew its license with Alberta Environment. The current approval permits the City of Camrose to remove up to 3.1 million cubic metres of water per year from the lake.
Protecting and improving the water quality in Dried Meat Lake and the Battle River is a priority. Unfortunately, The Battle River watershed is entirely outside the city limits and therefore the city has no jurisdiction or direct control. The City is working with Camrose County, the Tillicum Beach Association and other interested groups to try and reduce nutrient loading in the Battle River watershed.
The City of Camrose is currently participating in the Battle River Watershed Alliance which is a stakeholder group being set up by the province under the "Water for Life Strategy" and this group is to address water quality and quantity issues within the Battle River watershed.
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