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Water ban continues year after flood

Life has not been normal for those living and working in Black Diamond and Turner Valley since the flood of 2013. For the last 363 days, citizens have been told not to water their lawns, wash their cars or property or take long showers.

Life has not been normal for those living and working in Black Diamond and Turner Valley since the flood of 2013.

For the last 363 days, citizens have been told not to water their lawns, wash their cars or property or take long showers. They’ve been told to use water sparingly to ensure there is enough to support both communities for the months to come.

How many months? No one is sure.

This has been the reality in both towns since the Sheep River washed away Black Diamond’s water treatment plant during the 2013 flood.

“Most other communities haven’t lived or endured what the communities of Black Diamond and Turner Valley have,” said Turner Valley Mayor Kelly Tuck.

Tuck said it hasn’t been easy for the residents of her community.

“I think the biggest thing is they want the water restrictions lifted and they want the fire ban lifted,” she said. “That seems to be the biggest hurdle right now. People are asking, ‘Why are we still here today a year later?’”

Tuck said she understands their frustration, but work has been done these last 12 months. A permanent pipe was installed to supply water to Black Diamond, two water wells are now operating, a water infiltration gallery was constructed and is almost ready for use, the Decalta Bridge was repaired and river mitigation work is almost complete including rip rap to protect the river banks and construction of a berm to protect the water gallery.

The Town faced some delays when two citizens appealed the infiltration gallery project due to concerns about its proximity to oil and gas infrastructure and 18 septic tanks in Calkins Place.

The appeal is expected to go before the Environmental Appeals Board in early fall.

The flood continues to have some lasting effects on those whose basements were flooded and merchants who lost revenue due to a drastic drop in tourism last summer. Tuck said two homes were bought out by the Province and one family is still rebuilding.

Gabrielle Laczko and her family, who moved to Turner Valley two months before the flood hit, is living in a rental in Black Diamond.

“It hasn’t been easy but we make it work,” she said. “We couldn’t very well walk away from the property.”

The labour is being done by the Mennonite Disaster Services and the government provided some assistance, but not enough, said Laczko, who is expecting her third child this summer.

“What they gave us wouldn’t be able to rebuild the house,” she said. “We tried to get money from the government to build it higher but they told us it’s an improvement to the house so they aren’t going to give us money for raising up the house but we are doing it anyway because that makes sense of us.”

Laczko hopes to move into their new home in October.

While the flood has been challenging, Tuck said they’ve come a long way.

“As bad as the situation was you have to find a silver lining and I guess that’s what I’m looking for,” she said. “It’s important for all of us to remember the positives.”

Tuck said the Quad Water Regional Project, an initiative between Black Diamond, Turner Valley, the MD of Foothills and Longview for a shared water source, received government funding because of the towns’ water situation.

“I think we got a blessing in disguise from the Province when they covered our bills for the quad water project in order for us to move forward,” she said. “It will give both Turner Valley and Black Diamond clean sustainable drinking water. It’s got a 25-year lifespan on it right now.”

As more water sources are being found and the end of the water restrictions having the potential to be complete in as little as a month, Tuck said things are better every week.

“I know a few weeks from now things are going to be better than they are today,” she said. “That’s how they’ve been going for the last year. That’s how I’m living it right now, two weeks at a time.”

But they’re not out of the water completely. Tuck said the potential for a flood is still on everyone’s mind.

“People are looking at the dark skies and the rain we are starting to get,” she said. “You can hear them saying, ‘Do you think we are going to get this again?’”

No matter what happens, Tuck is confident it will work out in the end.

“I think we’ll bounce back,” she said. “I think we’ll move forward and hopefully we can get tons of tourism out in southern Alberta again this year.”

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