Cochrane's water distribution system consists of:
- approximately 161 km of water mains
- eight storage reservoirs
- ten booster stations
- 24 pressure reducing valves
- 526 fire hydrants
- 2123 water main valves
Every building connected to the Town’s water has a water meter to measure how much water is being used. The meters are read every month. Due to local topography, the distribution system is dynamic and has multiple pressure zones supplying water to various subdivisions.
Pump stations and reservoirs
A pump station and reservoir provides treated water to an area of Town that is at a higher elevation than the service area of the pumps at the water treatment plant.
At the Heritage Hills pump station, treated water from the water treatment plant is pumped into the 3.2 million litre reservoir. From the reservoir, the water is pumped out at a high pressure to supply the community with treated water at a specified pressure. A portion of the Heritage Hills reservoir storage, 1.3 million litres, is designated as fire storage.
The number and capacity of the pumps installed at the pump station is dependent on the required fire flow for the neighbourhood and the projected peak day demand.