Members of the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) were in Cold Lake last Wednesday to present information to the community on the potential expansion to the city's regional water treatment and supply system.
The presentation, which took place at the Lakeland Inn, saw several scientists discuss and give their thoughts and ideas to a crowd of 100 people regarding the possibility of Cold Lake supplying water to both a growing population in the city limits, and its surrounding communities. The information was split into four categories: water levels and flow, water quality, fisheries and public concerns.
The long-standing water issue between Cold Lake and Bonnyville was addressed by Dr. Ernst Kerkhoven, senior hydrologist with Northern ESRD, as he came to the conclusion Bonnyville's water supply was not sustainable and that the town would likely need to come up with a plan to bring water in from elsewhere.
Kerkhoven said that although there are public concerns regarding the taste, smell and overall quality of the water from Moose Lake, it is relatively clean. He did, however, maintain that his studies show that there would be a significant change in water levels should Bonnyville grow in the future.
However, Kerkhoven said he does not foresee the same problems for Cold Lake.
“It's hard to put an exact number on it because we don't know how much water each person uses,” Kerkhoven said. “But going by averages, Cold Lake could probably provide water for between 50,000 and 100,000 without having a significant affect on the level and quality of water.”
The other suggestion is for Bonnyville to build a pipeline and bring its water from the North Saskatchewan River (NSR), something Randall Barrett, director of Northern ESRD, said has been discussed back and forth for a number of years.
“Obviously, the North Saskatchewan River has a sustainable supple of water, that is of a good quality,” Barrett said. “The concerns and problems here are with the cost – it would be an expensive (project).” He noted, obtaining water from the NSR would prove difficult due to the province's inter water transfer agreement.
Many in attendance voiced concerns and suggestions regarding a number of issues, each of them having a chance to ask the four-man committee questions.
One Bonnyville resident asked what would happen to Moose Lake if the town stopped using it as its primary supply of water. She suggested leaving the water to recover and recuperate, then it may be fit to use again in the future.
Dr. Kerkhoven admitted that was certainly a possibility, saying water levels in Moose Lake would “for sure recover in less than five years.”
Leo Himmelsbach, a local engineer and Cold Lake resident, said he had concerns regarding the amount of water used – stating his uncertainty the tests had taken into account the possibility of a drought year, instead focusing solely on averages.
“Back in 1993, when we had the bad drought, there were 4.7 million cubic meters of water taken from Cold Lake,” Himmelsbach said. “Today, there are about 25 million cubic meters per year pumped out – that's a huge increase. What are we going to do if we have another drought?”
Bonnyville MD Councilor Fred Bamber said that there should be rules put in place that force the oil industry to only use brackish water.
“We know the technology is there for these oil companies to use brackish water, because there are already some organizations that do it,” Bamber said. “These companies should be made to follow in the footsteps of other organizations and exclusively use brackish water. It would help reduce the pressure on Cold Lake supplying water for the city's residents and (neighbouring communities).”
Barrett said he agreed with Bamber's statement, adding that Alberta Environment was no longer giving licenses to new companies to use fresh water from Cold Lake.
The night did not end without controversy, as Cold Lake resident Monique Sundlie stood up and made the statement that the residents and municipal government of the city needed to protect its water.
“Protecting (our water) has to be a priority,” Sundlie said. “We don't want it regionalized, it should be kept in the area or region it was put. If Bonnyville has a water problem, then that is Bonnyville's water problem.”
That response was met with disdain by those in attendance, with many shaking their heads in disbelief of what they'd just heard. The City of Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland said the city's residents needed to be understanding when it came to the possibility of providing water for neighbouring communities.
“Everybody deserves to have access to clean water,” Copeland said. “If we were the ones living in Bonnyville at the moment, we'd be wearing a different hat.”
Copeland went on to thank the ERSD for coming to Cold Lake, stating he learned a lot from the presentation.
“I think the staff from the ESRD deserve a lot of credit, they brought science, knowledge and facts to the area,” Copeland said. “I'm happy that so many people came out, engaged themselves and provided passionate feedback – I think that's fantastic.”
In conclusion, Copeland said the one thing to take out of the presentation was the impression that Cold Lake itself would be able to provide a steady supply of water for a large number of people.
“The people with the ESRD were very careful regarding the amount of people Cold Lake could sustain,” Copeland said. “But I got the impression that a lot of people can go on Cold Lake. Tonight showed that we have a sustainable watershed for many, many people.”
