Agencement de prises d'eau en région nordique

Abstract

The great quantity of small rivers in proximity of Canadian communities provide an excellent source of potable water. However, in our northern climate, intake structures must be built in rivers that are infested with ice. Since ice and hydraulic structures do not cohabit very well, the intakes must be designed to account for the many forms of ice. Referring to specific case studies, we examine the advantages and disavantages of conventional designs for municipal and industrial intakes. Conventional designs often employ weirs to raise water levels, whereas percolation systems withdraw water through the river bed. Their intake capacity is presented, and the use of retention basins to increase efficiency is discussed. Based on lessons learnt, we propose a design that meets the challenge of supplying water to a ski resort in typical hostile ice conditions for the Jacques-Cartier River in the Quebec City region.Key words: water intake, potable water, percolation, frazil ice, northern rivers.