WSA maintains dam breach Early Warning Systems (EWS) downstream of the Rafferty, Grant Devine (Alameda), and Qu'Appelle River (QRD) Dams to detect any unexpected flow conditions. As a result, WSA strives to ensure that downstream stakeholders, as well as the general public, receive early warnings about dam breaches or hazards related to dams. WSA reviews the collected data by the EWS and compares it to data with emergency and operational conditions, then responds accordingly.

WSA is seeking to implement additional EWS at several high priority dam sites throughout the Province of Saskatchewan. There are currently known deficiencies with the existing EWS at Rafferty, Grant Devine, and QRD. The Early Warning System at Lafleche Dam will be a pilot project for the successful respondent to develop a simple, reliable and repeatable EWS which can be implemented at other WSA owned dam sites.

WSA intends to engage an engineering consultant to design and provide procurement, construction support and commissioning for a new Early Warning System. WSA has prioritized four (4) additional dam sites for the design and implementation of Early Warning Systems.

WSA is a Treasury Board Crown corporation within the meaning of The Crown Corporations Act, 1993 (Saskatchewan) that is governed by The Water Security Agency Act (Saskatchewan). WSA is responsible for water management in the Province of Saskatchewan, which includes managing the province’s water supply, protecting water quality, ensuring safe drinking water and the treatment of wastewater, reducing flood and drought damage, protecting aquatic habitat, and managing dams and related supply channels.