The Water Services Division of the Planning & Public Works Department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of two pump houses, a water treatment plant and the water distribution system.
The water supply for the Town of Gander, including Gander International Airport, is Gander Lake. The lake is approximately 56km long and 5km wide (35x2 miles) and is one of the deepest lakes in North America, estimated at a depth 305m (1000ft).
The Town of Gander operates and maintains a pump house located halfway along the north shore of Gander Lake. The intake is a 122cm (48 inch) pipe which draws water from approximately 5m (16ft) below low water level. Water is pumped from the lake along a 2,743m (9,000ft) aqueduct, through a water treatment plant to a 6.26 million litre (1.65 million US gallon) reservoir where it is stored for approximately 18 hours before it is pumped again into the distribution system.
The water in the lake is soft, acidic, low in most metals, and low in alkalinity. It is high in colour and has high organic and inorganic chlorine demand. In 2007the Town of Gander constructed a $9 million Water Treatment Plant to provide high quality water to its residents. Water treatment consists of ozone as a primary disinfectant with soda ash added to adjust the pH level and a low dose of chloramines to maintain residual at the limits of our system. Daily tests are conducted to ensure high potable water quality.
