WATER NEWS 12/18
Water news roundup
BC
B.C. compost facility penalized $120,000 for leaking effluent into waterways
A B.C. composting facility has been penalized nearly $120,000 for leaking effluence into ditches that ultimately drain into the Fraser River and the nearby Matsqui Slough.
The “major” penalties were handed to Pacific Coast Renewables Corp., a facility that transforms plant matter, wood, food and yard waste, as well as red meat and poultry carcasses into compost. The company was formerly known as Net Zero Waste Abbotsford.
The $119,695 in monetary sanctions date back to 2021 and 2022, when nine discharges exceeded the Abbotsford facility’s permit limits on biochemical oxygen, chloride, escherichia coli (E. coli), fecal coliforms, phosphorus, and suspended solids, according to a recent decision from the Ministry of Environment and Parks. (Vancouver is Awesome)
Delta hoping to improve water flow to farmers
The City of Delta has issued a request for bids from engineering consulting companies for the preliminary design, detailed design and construction services for improving the efficiency of Delta’s agricultural irrigation water conveyance system.
The scope of work includes conveyance system upgrades to the irrigation channel along Highway 17, west of 72nd Street overpass.
The project is located along the east side of Highway 17, west of 72nd Street.
The existing drainage/irrigation channel along the east side of the Highway 17 is constricted for approximately 150 metres, according to the city, noting Delta has installed a temporary pump station to assist flow through that section of ditch. (Delta Optimist)
‘Human error’ caused spill of up to 8,000 litres of fuel off B.C.’s coast: government
Human error during a fuel transfer at a fish farm off the west coast of British Columbia has resulted in a spill into the water of up to 8,000 litres of diesel.
The B.C. government said in a report on its website that the spill happened Saturday at the Grieg Seafood fish farm near Zeballos, on the northwest side of Vancouver Island.
The report said the company has placed an absorbent boom around the spill site, but natural resources consultants say they haven’t been able to find any recoverable diesel on the water.
It said a visible sheen has been seen north and west of the spill site and the Canadian Coast Guard has sent out an advisory to other mariners to avoid the area of the spill. (City News)
How toxic impact of Mount Polley disaster filters through B.C. waters, 10 years later
Former Xatsull First Nation chief Bev Sellars recalls an emergency meeting after the Mount Polley Mine disaster, where elders were in tears as they thought of fish swimming through the toxic waste that had inundated their territorial waters.
She thinks of the 2014 disaster often.
"There are physical changes you can still see," Sellars said. "There's still things happening in the lake."
The catastrophic collapse of a tailings dam in the B.C. Interior sent about 25 million cubic metres of poisoned water from the copper and gold mine surging into waterways including Polley and Quesnel lakes on Aug. 4, 2014.
The impact is now filtering though the legal system, with 15 federal Fisheries Act charges laid last week against Imperial Metals Corp. and two other firms.
The environmental impacts are still being felt too, scientists fear, with toxic particles swirling in Quesnel Lake's water a decade later. (Castanet)
AB
Three projects will show energy production achievable with less water
Alberta will test new technologies in an effort to use less water during energy production by oil and gas companies.
The provincial government announced Monday it’s investing $2.7 million from the industry-funded Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program for three new projects.
One of said projects is in Three Hills, southeast of Red Deer.
“Global energy demand is rising and jurisdictions around the world are looking to us for ways to grow production while maximizing water efficiency,” says Rebecca Schulz, environment and protected areas minister.
“This funding will help test and advance three new technologies designed to help companies reduce water use and increase energy production at the same time. It’s a win for the environment, the energy sector and the economy.” (rdnewsNOW)
Siksika pursues litigation against province for Ghost Dam decision
Siksika is pursuing legal action against a provincial government decision to relocate the Ghost Dam downstream after it says the province failed to consult with the southern Alberta First Nation.
It comes after the province announced in September that it would be expanding the Ghost Reservoir — which is about 50 kilometres west of Calgary — and that it had chosen a new site along the Bow River for the dam as part of an extreme-weather mitigation plan.
That same week, Chief Ouray Crowfoot sent an open letter to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith saying the Siksika Nation was "deeply disappointed" by the government's announcement, as the Bow River Reservoir project would impact Siksika's treaty right to use and benefit from the water supply. (CBC)
Okotoks and Foothills County receive nearly six million dollars for water pipeline
Okotoks and Foothills County's regional water pipeline recently received nearly $6 million in funding.
On Thursday (Dec. 12), the federal government announced that seven municipalities in Alberta are receiving $24 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments to improve community infrastructure.
Of that $24 million, Foothills County and the Town of Okotoks are receiving $5,810,586 for the Foothills-Okotoks Regional Water Project.
The system will maximize the town's existing water treatment plant capacity, as well as capture raw water from the merging of the Bow River and the Highwood River that will supply Foothills County with a more reliable source of water for everyone. (High RIver Online)
SK
Saskatoon partners with University of Saskatchewan on research to improve water infrastructure
Research is underway at the University of Saskatchewan on watermain breaks and preventing them.
The research comes on the heels of the water main break that caused many problems for the city of Calgary
The City of Saskatoon and the University of Saskatchewan have partnered to work on improving our water infrastructure so we can avoid a similar situation.
“The timing … highlighted that this research really did need to happen and for the city to have a strategy in place to have critical spare parts available for our larger-diameter pipes,” said Amanda Munshaw, City of Saskatoon Technical Services Engineering manager.
USask researcher, Hamed Samarghandi, explained that through talks with the city he says that the climate of Saskatoon plays a major role in water main breaks and repairs. (Global News)
2025 drought risk for most of Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency says most areas of the province have a moderate to a high drought risk next year.
The Water Security Agency reports parts of the south-central region—including Assiniboia and Coronach— have an extreme drought risk. The high-risk area covers a wider range of southern Saskatchewan, including Val Marie, Swift Current, Regina, Weyburn and Estevan. There is a low drought risk in the west-central region—covering the area south of North Battleford to Kindersley and Rosetown and west from the Alberta border east to Saskatoon. All other parts of the province are in the moderate risk for drought next year. (CJWW)
ON
A remote First Nation in northwestern Ontario that has been under a boil-water advisory for 19 years has declared a state of emergency over recent contamination within its water supply.
Marten Falls First Nation's chief and council issued the emergency declaration on Monday following a sewage spill on Friday.
The community's wastewater lift system is broken and raw sewage is spewing into a creek that goes directly into the Albany River, said Chief Bruce Achneepineskum.
"It's outdated, it's too small for the community and we've had [an] engineering report done on our wastewater system, highlighting that this has to be changed," Achneepineskum said of the lift system, which was built nearly 30 years ago. (CBC)
YU
$10.4M water treatment project proposed at Yukon’s Wolverine Mine
Prior to elevated contaminants detected at Wolverine Mine due to a suspected tailings leak, the Yukon government was preparing for a two-year water treatment campaign beginning in spring 2025.
That project has a $10.4-million price tag that’s subject to legislative approval, according to John Thompson, who works in communications for the Energy, Mines and Resources department.
The Yukon government is currently looking for a contractor to carry out the project.
A request for proposals on the project calls for supplying, installing and running a temporary water treatment system. The goal is to discharge 370,000 cubic metres of water from the tailings storage facility. (Yukon News)
N.S. coastline tourism at risk from climate change
Nova Scotia has been named one of Travel + Leisure magazine’s 50 Best Places to Travel in 2025, celebrated for its proximity to the ocean.
The province, recognized alongside the Yukon as the two Canadian regions to make the list, Nova Scotia is featured under the category ‘For Moments on the Water’.
“Nova Scotia’s unique charm and scenic coastlines draw visitors from around the world,” Dave Ritcey, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, said in a news release. “It’s great to see our province and tourism industry receiving recognition as a world-class vacation destination.”
Nova Scotia is home to over 13,300km of coastline meaning at any point, one is never more than 67km from the water.)
Between January and July, the province welcomed more than one million visitors; in 2023, Nova Scotia had 2.2 million visitors, many of whom came to experience the western Atlantic coastline.
But Nova Scotia is at risk of experiencing devastating impacts of climate change, many of which could alter these best-loved tourist activities. (City News)
QC/NL
Québec secures major hydropower deal with Labrador to ensure energy future
Québec has taken a significant step toward bolstering its energy security with a new agreement in principle for hydroelectric power generation in Labrador. The deal guarantees access to 7200MW of clean energy for the next 50 years, at costs lower than any other renewable energy option in North America.
The agreement extends Québec’s access to power from the existing Churchill Falls generation facility and includes plans for expanded capacity. New developments will add power through upgrades at Churchill Falls, the construction of a new station on the same site, and a facility at Gull Island. Together, these projects will generate 9190MW, with Hydro-Québec purchasing 7200MW and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro receiving the remaining 1990MW. (Water Power)
