Cold Lake will be the water source used to supply municipalities in the surrounding region with clean healthy drinking water for the foreseeable future.
The decision to use Cold Lake rather than the North Saskatchewan River as the region's water source was announced in a letter sent by Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development to municipalities on Feb. 7.
“Our department has analyzed the scientific evidence and the socio-economic benefits presented by the action committee and determined that Cold Lake would be an acceptable water source for the region,” said Robin Campbell, Minister of the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resources (ESRD), in an interview with the Nouvelle Feb. 18.
“Municipal affairs has also been working in the discussion process and we will continue to work with them as we prepare the water infrastructure application.”
The action committee, which consists of a variety of government representatives along with councillors from the Town of Bonnyville, MD of Bonnyville, City of Cold Lake and Cold Lake First Nations, met several times last year and into 2014 to discuss possible options to supply the region with drinking water.
The committee carried out research into the two water options for the region and determined that Cold Lake would be able to serve a population of 100,000 people without an adverse effect to the lake, which the ESRD confirmed.
ESRD also commissioned a feasibility study on the lake as a source for regional drinking water in 2008, which determined Cold Lake would be the most “viable” source for drinking water as it is able to accommodate growth and because of its high water quality.
“Our council has always said that it should be the province that makes the decision about where the water should come from for the region and if they want Cold Lake water to be the source they should come out and say it,” said Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland.
A few weeks after the committee's latest meeting in January, the province finally announced its decision to use Cold Lake, effectively moving the process forward.
“This is a big decision, it is a big step forward. Now we can move on,” said MD of Bonnyville Reeve Ed Rondeau.
“This is the sort of decision that the action committee has been looking forward to, so now it is just about starting to put into place a plan and protocols as to our next steps,” said Bonnyville Mayor Gene Sobolewksi.
“I am quite happy with the outcome, but now it is time to roll up the sleeves and get back to work in planning for getting a water line here and getting our residents water,” Sobolewski added.
Leaders and representatives involved will once again return to the table to decide on the specifics of the water line and what utility model to use once the drinking water begins flowing.
“We will meet again,” said Rondeau. “We have got some things to determine as to how we are going to operate; whether it should be a commission, an authority or a business. We are not sure at this stage what it is going to be.”
The ESRD has encouraged the municipalities to work with representatives from the municipal affairs department in order to create a water infrastructure application, which is the next official step in the process.
Copeland said he doesn't want to see Cold Lake on the hook for extra costs and that other municipalities involved should cover the added costs.
“Our council wants to make sure that there will be no cost to the City of Cold Lake if there are any upgrades that have to happen to the current system,” said Copeland. “It is also our preference that the City of Cold Lake is the steward of the regional water line.”
Copeland reiterated there is still a lot of negotiating to be done.
“For the first phase, if it is providing water to the Town of Bonnyville, I want to make sure that Cold Lake First Nations is looked after,” he said. “They have a growing commercial enterprise going on in the south reserve there and I think they deserve to be looked at for the first phase to make sure that they have safe drinking water.”
The provincial government was unwilling to put a solid timeframe on the project, as it hinges on the infrastructure application, which could take up to two years.
“I can't comment at this point on how long it will take,” said Kevin Zahara, press secretary for Minister Campbell. “It will all depend on when the application gets in. It is just a process that will take as long as it takes.”
