Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
Five days after a contractor damaged water and sewer lines that forced a community near Calgary to declare a state of emergency, repairs are underway. On Oct. 21, the City of Cochrane revealed that an unnamed contractor, doing work to twin the town’s sewer line, “impacted” sewage and water lines while preparing to drill. The two ruptures sent sewage and water into the Bow River, Cochrane and Calgary’s water source. The significant loss of water reduced the town’s water availability.
The Town of Cochrane says its reservoir levels are no longer critically low. In a statement Wednesday night, the town said water conservation efforts and water hauling from Rocky View County and Calgary are making a difference. But more than a dozen homes have no water as repairs continue on ruptured lines. A handful of businesses are also cut off.
While Cochrane remains under a state of emergency, town officials announced water reservoir levels have been partially restored after a major pipeline break over the weekend. Speaking to the media Wednesday, emergency management deputy director Shawn Polley said that thanks to voluntary conservation efforts from residents and business, as well as water hauling from nearby communities, reservoir levels had "stabilized."
Cochrane has declared a state of local emergency after water line breaks drained the town’s water supply — alongside sewage — into the Bow River, and town officials are pleading with residents to cut back on water use. At a news conference Tuesday, town officials said the effects of the break in water and wastewater lines Saturday have depleted water reservoirs to “critical levels.”
A main sewer line break occurred yesterday in the town of Cochrane, causing an overland sewage discharge that flowed into the Bow River at the Highway 22 bridge. Cochrane drinking water is not affected by the sewage and remains safe to drink. Stacy Loe is the executive director of protective and community services for Cochrane. She said the town found out about the problem at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
The Town of Cochrane’s existing license to withdraw water from the Bow River is set to reach its maximum level in as little as four years, throwing into question how current rates of growth may be sustained in the near future. The province put a stop to any applications for new licenses in the South Saskatchewan River Basin (which includes the Bow River) in 2006.
Booming growth in Cochrane, Alta., is putting pressure on the town as it edges closer to maxing out its water licence capacity. Like other municipalities in the region, the town relies on a licence to draw the water it needs from the Bow River. But with no new water licences being granted by the provincial government and a growing population, the community needs solutions.
Despite receiving its water from Calgary through a regional system, Strathmore has been left out of discussions about reintroducing fluoride to the city’s potable water. In 2011, Calgary water fluoridation was discontinued. But in 2019, the City of Calgary started discussions about adding fluoride to the city’s water supply once again. A report to Calgary city council was presented on Dec. 14, 2020, stating that adding fluoride to the water supply would cost about $30 million over two decades, including about $10.1 million in capital expenses, about $1 million per year in operating and maintenance costs, and about $2 million to $4 million in upgrades over that period. The report stated an associated change in water utility rates or service levels are not anticipated, though this is not guaranteed.
