Water reservoir level down to 65 per cent

Turner Valley’s water reservoir level has dropped even lower after a pump that was rented to fill it broke down a week and a half ago.

Harry Riva Cambrin, Sheep River Regional Utility Corporation (SRRUC) chief administrative officer, said the raw water reservoir is now at 65 per cent capacity, but with the pump now up and running again today he hopes to see levels climb about one per cent a day.

“Seventy per cent brings about the ringing of bells, then when you hit 60 per cent then you’re into the red zone, if you want to call it that, that usually brings – it’s up to the municipalities – but it usually brings a Level 3 conservation effort,” he said. “We’re not there yet, but we’re in this warning zone.”

Riva Cambrin said SRRUC rented the pump, which began taking more than 1,650 cubic metres of water daily out of a direct intake in the Sheep River on Jan. 12, with hopes of bringing the reservoir to full capacity within 30 days.

The pump, which is placed under the ice and equipped with heated tape to keep it from freezing, broke down a week after it began operating.

It’s back in operation today.

“One of the valves was gone on it and that’s been fixed,” said Riva Cambrin. “It was to do with the electrical side of it as well.”

While the pump was broken, SRRUC’s infiltration gallery and four wells produced about 1,600 cubic metres of water daily, about the same level of usage amongst users in Black Diamond and Turner Valley.

The direct intake is the final of several projects to provide adequate water to the two towns since the 2013 flood wiped out Black Diamond’s water treatment plant and water wells in both communities. The Towns received tens of millions of dollars in government funding the past five years to have Turner Valley’s water treatment plant supply water to both communities.

Riva Cambrin said the reservoir was filling about a percentage a day once the pump was installed. Since it broke down, water was lost due to line breakages in Black Diamond, resulting in a depletion.

Riva Cambrin said there is no reason at this time to impose Level 3 water restrictions in Black Diamond or Turner Valley.

“If we wouldn’t have been able to get the pump back this week we would have had to get a little bit more strict on the water conservation levels,” he said. “It’s going to be miserable in this colder weather to get things going again, but other than that we’re not concerned. I think we should be able to keep up with those pumping rates.”

SRRUC, a municipally-owned utility corporation that operates the supply, treatment and transmission of wholesale potable water to Black Diamond and Turner Valley, had ordered a pump for the direct water intake last year, but received the wrong one.

Riva Cambrin said it’s now back ordered and will take a few months to arrive.

The reservoir had declined to 70 per cent capacity by early January due to a lack of moisture and recent water leaks, prompting the corporation to rent the pump.

The Towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley put notices out to residents and businesses on Jan. 4 asking that they reduce water consumption as a result of the dropping reservoir levels.

Riva Cambrin said he urges residents to continue to be mindful of their water use.

“I would just suggest don’t be wasteful,” he said. “Do what you need to do, but don’t overuse either.”