Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
“On Wednesday, June 7, during a routine water source inspection on Meares Island in the Haahuulthii of the Tla-o-qui-aht Ha’wiih, crews identified a leak,” the statement reads. “In order to isolate and repair the leak, water distribution will be impacted, and a partial shutdown of our water system is required between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 8. We are asking residents and businesses to restrict their use of water during this period.”
Nearly a month after the incident was first reported, Imperial Oil has confirmed that the produced water line that spilled in Norman Wells, N.W.T. is underneath the Mackenzie River. Cabin Radio first reported the leak's location. Imperial Oil said the cause of the leak is still being determined and that results from water sampling indicate there is no risk to public health or freshwater aquatic life downstream. In early August, residents in Fort Good Hope reported a fuel-like sheen and other surface contaminants spotted on the surface of the Mackenzie River.
A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) on a sodium hypochlorite solution, a disinfecting agent commonly used in water treatment plants, says that the chemical can cause severe eye damage and skin burns, and is very toxic to aquatic life, having persistent effects. The SDS on sodium hypochlorite says the solution must be disposed of following local and national regulations and that it can’t be mixed with other forms of waste. The tanks are currently past life expectancy and work on this project is crucial because one of the three tanks is leaking.
The underwater pipeline that leaked more than 550,000 litres of oil into the water off Southern California was split open and apparently dragged more than 30 metres along the ocean floor, possibly by a ship's anchor, officials said Tuesday. The segment of the pipe that was dragged was 1.2 kilometres long, and had a gash that was more than 30 centimetres wide, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Anthony Krushel-Wiebe, who lives on Kildonan Drive, discovered a leak in his 1926 non-conforming waterline in May. Instead of conforming – coming from the street in front of his house – Krushel-Wiebe’s waterline originates on a side street and runs underneath a back lane, relegating the line to non-conforming status. He said the leak is associated with a shutoff valve at the side street that could be replaced for $4,500.
