Flooded areas in Bearspaw may soon see relief, as Rocky View has received authorization from Alberta Environment to allow 18,330 cubic metres of excess storm water to be used in oil production.
Calgary-based NAL Energy Corporation, which has six wells in the Lochend area, will begin pumping the water out of flooded sites in late July or early August and will likely continue until Sept. 2, when the agreement terminates.
“I hope that it is an innovative relationship with the industry to take out excess water in Rocky View,” said Division 9 Councillor Paul McLean, who has been in discussions with the oil company. “I am pleased NAL took the lead to fulfil my request to utilize non-potable water. This is a starting point to see if we can work together with them.”
The 18,330 cubic metres of water will likely be sufficient for NAL’s production requirements in the area, which range from 2,000 to 3,000 cubic metres of water per well, according to Lance Berg, NAL’s area business unit manager.
The company will truck the water, to be filtered and treated, to a large holding pond using its 15,000 to 30,000-cubic-metre capacity vehicles.
“We are trying to be a good neighbour and work with (landowners) in the area and with the County,” said Berg. “It’s just the right thing to do.”
Although last year’s unusually high precipitation levels have led to flooding in a number of divisions throughout the county, five Bearspaw locations have been prioritized as the best possible for the pumping deal.
According to Division 8 Councillor Al Sacuta, those areas include a section of Range Road 25, which has been flooded for several weeks; Meadow Drive just east of Church Ranches, where excess water is threatening a home; Timber Ridge Way in Church Ranches; and a site north of Meadow Drive, where a large berm is protecting a barn.
“(County staff) asked what critical areas I was seeing,” said Sacuta. “We looked for places where there was water on the road or where we were close to flooding people’s houses. We don’t have any other way to get rid of the water, because there is no place to pump.”
According to Sacuta, Bearspaw’s flooding situation gets worse every year as saturated storm water ponds maintain their capacity from year to year.
“If we don’t start taking some of this water down while it is semi-dry… there will be no reserve capacity in the spring,” said Sacuta.
The long-term solution, according to Sacuta, would be to implement the area’s master drainage plan, which was designed in 2007 and was estimated to cost about $15 million for the Church Ranches area.
“It could be really expensive,” said Sacuta, an engineer by trade. “Ideally what you would have done is decide how much development to allow in this area, and build the drainage system first.”
However, Sacuta said there is some hope for the future as several residents in Church Ranches have spearheaded a storm water pilot project.
“If these neighbours can get onside, we will know how to do this on a limited scale,” said Sacuta. “If the pilot project is successful, I will be asking for money next year. It’s not a huge project, but it is a critical project.”
