By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
Valemount may be getting an additional water source soon, thanks to a water supply plan written by consulting firm Urban Systems and reviewed by Village Council at the beginning of August. The firm found a groundwater source through a test well which they drilled 17 metres east of Swift Creek.
As of now, Swift Creek is the village’s sole water source. In the past, it has been threatened by natural disasters, such as flooding in 2012 and a landslide in 2021. These events, along with concerns about the creek’s ability to accommodate population growth, prompted Council to contract Urban Systems to develop the water supply plan in 2021.
In the plan, Urban Systems recommends using the groundwater source it identified as an alternative to Swift Creek. The village would draw from the groundwater supply during spring and summer – when the creek flow is more rapid, kicking up debris and lowering water quality – and return to using Swift Creek in fall and winter.
The plan also recommends upgrading the Village’s current water intake system by installing a concrete weir, adding backup power to the pump that draws water in for storage, and expanding the building with the pump station to twice its current size. These renovations, combined with the construction of a new well, would cost the Village an estimated $3,224,000 if completed simultaneously.
Council approved staff to research grant options for these costs during their August 13th meeting.
In an interview with The Goat, sustainability expert Dr. Tara Lynne Clapp said having a protected water source is crucial. As Chair of UNBC’s School of Planning and Sustainability, Clapp researches sustainability in rural communities, with a particular focus on water and housing.
“Surface water sources are vulnerable to climate change, and all the things associated with that: more landslides, more wildfires,” Clapp said.
Groundwater can make a good water source for communities of Valemount’s size, according to Clapp.
“Generally, groundwater is preferred over surface water because it has lower levels of microbial things, like Giardia [a parasite found in water] and E. coli,” Clapp said. “Groundwater is usually only vulnerable from surface contamination for the top 40 feet (12 metres) [of soil]… and once you get down over 100 feet (30.48 metres), you’re dealing with groundwater that’s usually pretty safe from things happening on the surface, like gasoline spills.”
At 27.89 metres (91.5 feet) deep, the test well drilled by Urban Systems likely found a high-quality water source, Clapp added.
According to the water supply plan, the water collected by the well met criteria in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, a set of parameters for appropriate levels of microbes and chemicals established by Health Canada. Additionally, the aquifer supplying the groundwater source is confined – meaning it is protected by an impenetrable layer of rock or clay – according to CAO Anne Yanciw.
“I am very excited about the results [the test well] has shown. I firmly believe this will make the municipal water system much more resilient to drought, seasonal fluctuations and climate change,” Yanciw added.
Clapp said with a protected aquifer, Valemount is well-positioned to have a sustainable water source, despite both groundwater and surface water being vulnerable to drought.
“I’m really excited to hear that this is on the table for Valemount,” Clapp said. “Developing a secondary water source is one of the most important investments communities that have that option can make.”
As Village staff are in the midst of researching grant options, there is not yet a timeline for the installation of a well. Stay tuned to The Goat for future updates on this story.
