A small sewage spill south of Heritage Lakes but north of Anthony Henday Drive was reported last month, but authorities aren't sure how long it will take to repair the damaged pipe.
Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission (ACRWC) spokesperson Cindy de Bruijn said in an email on Sept. 7 the commission received a report of a possible spill on Aug. 18, and crews confirmed an underground pipe had been damaged, causing wastewater to seep into the ground.
“While the break does not appear to be significant in size, its location is in a difficult-to-access area that crosses under an active CN Rail track,” de Bruijn said. “This pipeline transmits wastewater from the tri-region of Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County to a combination chamber in Sturgeon County for further transmission and is approximately 16 (kilometres) in length.”
“This is a dynamic situation, and we continue to dedicate all available resources to manage the situation and bypass wastewater through alternative transmission means so there are no environmental or service provision impacts.”
A notice published on the commission's website states it's possible the pipe was damaged during “a heavy rainfall event.”
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Aug. 18 saw 23.9 millimetres of rainfall in Edmonton, which was the most since July 18 of this year, when 25.9 millimetres of rain fell in the area.
De Bruijn said the spill doesn't pose a risk to Big Lake, which she said is approximately two kilometres from the spill, and there is also no risk to a nearby unnamed pond just one kilometre west of the spill.
”Both (water areas) are uphill and west of the area, so there was never risk to these bodies,” she said.
The commission's online notice says nearby residents and business owners should expect increased construction traffic while the pipe is being repaired.
“While repair work is underway, area businesses and residents can expect increased construction traffic in the area and there may be some increased noise from the machinery; however, it will be in compliance with all bylaws and regulations,” the notice reads.
The sewage spill comes about eight months after another ACRWC pipe broke late last year causing an unknown amount of sewage to spill into Big Lake.
The Big Lake spill caused Alberta Health Services to issue a water quality advisory warning people to avoid the water due to elevated levels of fecal bacteria, which could have caused skin, ear, and eye infections if people came into contact with the water.
The water quality advisory for Big Lake stayed in place for the first half of the year, and was lifted on June 29.
