Leader is getting closer to a brand-new water storage system as work continues to flow towards completion. 

With water levels better than ever in the South Saskatchewan River ensuring their supply is currently adequate, the new storage tank will be a welcome upgrade at the water treatment plant. 

Leader Mayor, Aaron Wenzel, said the $2 million project is roughly one-third of the way to being done. The project began after some investment from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program last year. 

"Unfortunately, it wasn't refunded this year, but we were able to capitalize on that last year," said Wenzel. "It's still a significant investment for the town, but a big portion was still picked up by the federal and provincial governments."

This new storage unit will not affect the water processing capability of the water treatment facility. It will simply be an updated, safe storage unit for incoming water. 

"The old yellow storage tank that currently sits on the north end of town, could be 50 to 60, maybe even 70 years old," said Wenzel. "No one seems to be quite sure when that was actually put down."

Inspections of the old tank revealed concerns about its structural integrity. Following that, Leader town council spent a few years developing and drawing up a plan for the new storage tank.

"That obviously came to fruition through the grant program," said Wenzel. "Today it's under construction."

The project is purported to be finished by the end of the summer, pending any unforeseen delays.