Raw sewage leak fixed, Tsuu T'ina officials say
Untreated Redwood Meadows sewage no longer spewing onto reserve land west of Calgary
CBC News
Posted: Jul 23, 2012 12:03 PM MT
Last Updated: Jul 23, 2012 8:03 PM MT
Related
Related Stories
Raw sewage is no longer flowing from the Calgary bedroom community of Redwood Meadows into a forest near the Elbow River, officials say.
For nearly two weeks, untreated sewage has been spewing onto the land, which is part of the Tsuu T’ina native reserve, because of a blocked line.
The raw human waste was being dumped roughly 500 metres from the Elbow River, which feeds Calgary’s Glenmore Reservoir.
On Monday Tsuu T'ina band administrator Kevin Littlelight said the sewage system for Redwood Meadows — which is also on First Nations land — was fixed on Friday and that sewage flowing properly into a lagoon on the reserve.
Redwood Meadows town manager Pat Evans also said the problem had been corrected.
Raw sewage from Redwood Meadows is no longer flowing directly into a forest near the Elbow River, officials say. (CBC)"Everything's been kind of put back to normal,” Evans said.
Tsuu T’ina officials said the site where the sewage was dumped had been cleaned up.
CBC News has not been able to independently confirm any cleanup.
City of Calgary water officials have stepped up water sampling as a result of the sewage spill.
“We are concerned as always with what is going on in our watershed... We are increasing some of our sampling. But we are confident that our water treatment plant will continue to deliver high quality drinking water,” said Nancy Stacker, manager of water quality service for the city.
Littlelight says "suspicious" concrete caused the blockage, adding law enforcement officials are investigating.
CBC News hired an independent water lab to run tests for pathogens at the dump site and on the river. Experts concluded there are concerns about dangerous pathogens and fecal coliform entering the waterway, which is a source of Calgary's drinking water.
Meanwhile, Environment Canada issued a statement to CBC News Monday, stating officers completed an on-site inspection and "have not found any evidence of a Fisheries Act violation in fish bearing waters. No further action from Environment Canada is required."
Share Tools
Latest Calgary News Headlines
- Real estate registry eyed for Calgary city council members
- Members of Calgary's city council may soon have to disclose more personal information in a real estate registry. more »
- Alberta's Wildrose Party fined $90K for robocalls
- The Wildrose Party has been fined $90,000 by the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission for violating automated phone call regulations. more »
- Teen's death sparks call for social services information
- The Alberta government wants to see changes on how provinces share information about children under the protection of social services. more »
- Southern Alberta braces for heavy rainfall, snow
- With Calgary and many parts of southern Alberta expecting a lot of rain over the next few days, officials are telling people to take some precautions. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Rob Ford allies set to take over if mayor steps down
- Members of Rob Ford's executive committee say they are prepared to take over the day-to-day running of the city if the Toronto mayor is no longer able to perform his duties, amid a scandal involving allegations he was caught on video smoking crack cocaine.
more »
- Greg Weston: Senate scandal may be Harper's worst hour
- The widening Senate scandal that the prime minister flippantly tried to dismiss as a 'distraction' just days ago has instead become arguably Stephen Harper's worst hour. more »
- Man ‘lucky to be alive’ after Washington bridge collapse
- A Washington state bridge over a river collapsed last night, dumping two vehicles into the water and sparking a rescue effort by boats and divers who searched the chilly waterway north of Seattle. more »
- 3D printers give rise to 'desktop manufacturing'
- Customizable objects from plastic dollhouse furniture to medical prosthetics can now be designed and printed out by almost anyone at the press of a button, and is going to lead to an 'explosion of new stuff,' predicts author Chris Anderson. more »
- Rob Ford fired chief of staff for telling mayor to 'get help'
- CBC News has learned the details of what precipitated the firing of Mark Towhey as Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's chief of staff — and it was advice from Towhey that Ford needs to 'get help.' more »
- Southern Alberta braces for heavy rainfall, snow
- Alberta's Wildrose Party fined $90K for robocalls
- S.E. Calgary man missing since February
- Calgary school board staff's $15K New Zealand trip questioned
- Teen's death sparks call for social services information
- Alberta's pest list includes 60 critters
- Rain, snow in K-Country prompts rescue of school campers
- Calgary man charged with murder in 2012 killing
- Calgary teen found dead had been in provincial care

