Welcome to the last instalment in our ‘Summer Stories Worth Revisiting’ series. This summer there were a number of water stories that took an interesting turn and this past week we’ve been reposting five stories that are worth a second look. Our last post looks at water restrictions that impacted Okotoks, Turner Valley and Black Diamond in 2014.   

“Sheep River Valley” by Ayrcan is licenced under CC BY 2.0.

June 2013 flood knocked out the Black Diamond water treatment plant and two of three water wells meaning it would be months before the town had access to secure water supply. Water restrictions were quickly implemented after the flood. During the winter of 2014 the single remaining well that was not damaged by the flood was reconnected to the reservoir and a new well was also drilled. 

However a year later, water restrictions were still in place for both Black Diamond and Turner Valley and administrators were still trying to secure alternative water sources that satisfy needs. In July 2014 Turner Valley proposed a third well and an infiltration gallery that takes water from the Sheep River gravel bed to AESRD.

The proposed infiltration gallery was the subject of concern for some Turner Valley residents. Given the proximity of the infiltration gallery to a former gas plant landfill, and oil and gas infrastructure resident Roxanne Walsh wanted further revision that the Town’s drinking water was safe for consumption. Turner Valley representatives countered that the infiltration gallery met standards and was approved by the Province and the Town.  

The story continue will continue in January 2015 when the appeal for the filtration gallery is scheduled. 

[1] World Health Organization. (n.d). Fact Sheet 2.5: Infiltration Galleries. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/emergencies/fs2_5.pdf