The Strategic Services Branch is responsible for setting policy standards and asset management for Infrastructure Services (roads, lanes, sidewalks, water mains, sanitary sewer mains and storm sewer mains). In addition, the Branch is responsible for projects, services and initiatives of strategic importance to Infrastructure Services and the City as a whole, such as: setting up the Storm Water Management Utility; coordination of the Sewer Use Bylaw; and drafting the City’s Watershed Protection Plan.

 Planning & Design

The Planning and Design Section provides long-range planning and design for the City's water and sewer services. To facilitate this mandate, this Section’s work includes data collection and monitoring of the underground systems, network modeling to predict performance and future needs, and public consultation.

The Planning and Design Section serves as engineering consultants to the Land Branch for development of city-owned land, providing the technical expertise for detailed design of cost-effective servicing of new neighbourhoods. Planning, analysis, and design work to rehabilitate existing infrastructure and increase system capacity in existing neighbourhoods also falls within this Section’s mandate. Long-range demand forecasting and planning for the orderly growth of infrastructure to service Saskatoon for decades into the future is done by this Section.

This Section works closely with the private sector in the development of new neighbourhoods and other projects in Saskatoon. Selection and overseeing of external consultants hired to provide unique services, such as hydrogeologic investigations, also falls within this Section’s mandate.

Environmental considerations are foremost in designing for the distribution of potable water and the safe collection of wastewater and storm water.