Glade Community Water and the impacts of proposed logging and road building

Glade community water...

The Glade Creek Community watershed intake is governed by the Glade Irrigation District. On the GID website link are bylaws, water regulations for Glade, turbidity results, and our water notices.
Glade Irrigation is currently working with Interior Health Authority to improve the quality of our water through additional water treatment systems. Any degradation of the source water could greatly affect the decisions related to our water treatment system and the resulting costs for this community.
In rural BC it is not unusual for a community to be under a boil water notice/advisory but it is concerning, as there is a health risk. Our water is closely monitored by members of the community and Glade irrigation District data is regularly sent to the Interior Health Authority.

Besides the Community watershed, Glade residents in Upper Glade get their water from small points of diversion, as do many people in BC. These small streams have been providing water to residents for 100+ years. Kalesnikoff logging area is just above, or in some cases, overlaps these vulnerable streams.

Enjoying Glade waterfall pool ©Y.Neilson2016

Is there a Threat to Glade Drinking Water?

Yes, according to the professional opinion letter by Dr. Martin Carver, there is a threat from a number of sources:

Glade Ferry, June 2008 © H.McS

Based on the information available, there exists a threat to the Glade community’s drinking water supply. It may become non-potable due to elevated turbidity and potential contamination. In addition, potential changes in the timing of flow may threaten the supply of water during seasonal periods of low flow. This threat is increasing with the forestry activities being planned; particularly those that are situated close to the water intake. As the climate continues to change, the magnitude of the threat is rising and can be expected to rise further in the coming decades and beyond.

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Section 29, Drinking Water Protection Act

The Glade Watershed Protection Society submitted a Section 29 to the Interior Health Authority (March 2016). Basically, it states that there is reason to believe that should the proposed logging proceed our water will be compromised.

Section 29 of the Drinking Water Protection Act is very broad. “If a person considers that there is a threat to their drinking water, the person may request the drinking water officer to investigate the matter”. The drinking water officer must review the request and consider whether an investigation is warranted. There are a number of similar situations that Interior Health anticipates will prompt the request for investigations. These include but are not limited to logging, cattle grazing, and recreational use in watersheds that contribute to water supplies for individuals or communities. (https://www.interiorhealth.ca/YourEnvironment/DrinkingWater/Documents/Conditions-on-Permit.pdf)

Update on Section 29 (March 2017)

Unfortunately, one year after our initial application, the Interior Health Authority Drinking Water Officer has decided not to initiate a s.29, even though 134 letters went to the IHA office requesting that they follow through with an investigation. Glade Watershed Protection Society would like to say Thank you to all those community members who signed that support letter.
Glade Creek has elevated levels of turbidity. Glade Watershed Protection Society believes that because of this already elevated turbidity, it is even more important that our water is protected from impacts like proposed road building.

The Environmental Health Officer stated in her letter (March 9, 2017):

"We have reviewed the information brought forward by the GID and GWPA [sic] and have determined that evidence to support an investigation has not been provided to warrant a Sec. 29 investigation." This statement is not surprising, as neither licensee provided details like site plans or road design and layout plans.
The EHO goes on to say: "As a matter of jurisdiction, we believe it is not appropriate to apply a Section 29 investigation to the legal framework and approvals processes of forestry activities of MFLNRO." (emphasis mine)

However, additional information regarding the licensees proposed plans, a more concise look at data like existing turbidity and other factors may provide evidence to support a reconsideration of the s. 29 investigation. The Glade Watershed Protection Society is working to bring this forward.

If you would like to contact our Drinking Water Officer to comment, please contact her at: renee.ansel@interiorhealth.ca

or write to R. Ansel, Environmental Health Officer, Small Water Systems
333 Victoria St. Nelson, BC V1L 4K3
250 505 7220

In the Jefferd Creek area, a Section 29 investigation was used successfully to stop logging in the Stillwater watershed. (Article from West Coast Environmental Law)

10 April, 2012
In 2004 the residents of the tiny community of Stillwater, near Powell River, learned that BC Timber Sales (BCTS) was planning to auction off the rights to clearcut 12.5 hectares in the Jefferd Creek watershed, which is the source of their drinking water. Well, it’s been a long fight, but after 8 years and a series of grants to the Committee for the Protection of Jefferd Creek from West Coast’s Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund, BCTS has agreed to scale its proposed 12.5 hectare cut down to 1.5 hectares – located well away from the Creek – because of concerns about the drinking water impacts. Congratulations to the Committee and to the Stillwater Improvement District for this victory for common sense.

The water from our taps...

There are approximately 300 people in Glade, dispersed between 145 residences and/or farms. Approximately one hundred homes are on Glade Irrigation District water. Another approximately 35 to 40 homes are on separate Points of Diversion (PODs), getting their water from small surface creeks and streams. Many have been using these sources since the Doukhobors first settled here in 1911. These small streams provided water to families then, and they still do today. These PODs, although not in the watershed, are within the logging 'harvest' area and could be affected by proposed logging and road building taking place directly above them.

In the public meeting of Feb/16 with ATCO and Kalesnikoff, the hydrologist was asked if she "was saying that logging would not impact the water in Glade Creek?" The response was "If they (the licencees) do it well, there is a very good chance (that it wouldn't affect Glade creek water)." (Audio Sept, 2015)

However, it only requires run off to create sediment and turbidity and our water system could fail to deliver safe water. Conventional logging and road building exacerbate those conditions.

Glade Creek water intake, April 2017

Glade Creek Water intake during flooding, May 2006, the community was without water.

How sediment and turbidity can deteriorate drinking water

There can be numerous sources of sediment and turbidity in creeks and streams. In the Glade watershed, disturbances have resulted in at least 3 landslides and there are sources of sediment in Glade Creek water. (Interior Watershed Assessment Procedure & Reconnaissance Stability Assessment of Structure Locations Glade Creek. February 2001. M.Carver). In addition, clear cut logging, road building and the subsequent damage that might occur can greatly increase the likelihood of sediment in the water.

When sediment production increases, it affects the efficacy of our water treatment process by introducing not only fine clays, sands and silts, but also organic compounds. The maximum acceptable concentration of turbidity in the Guidelines For Canadian Drinking Water Quality is 1.0 NTU (with a recommended target of 0.1 NTU). Where turbidity levels are elevated, disinfection (and thus water safety) is compromised. Bacteriological constituents, along with sediments may actually overwhelm the disinfection system at elevated levels even while treatment and delivery of water to the community are occurring.

Disinfection utilizing chlorine is the treatment currently in place for the Glade water system. This jurisdiction issues Water Quality Advisories when turbidity levels exceed a set level, even though chlorination is present. This is the only option available to the operators of this water system in terms of reducing risk to the users. As such Glade Irrigation water users are under a Boil Water Notice.

There is also the challenge of disinfection byproducts to consider. While protecting against microbial contamination is the top priority, chemical compounds are formed unintentionally when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter in water. In the early 1970s it was determined that drinking water chlorination could form a group of byproducts known as trihalomethanes (THMs), including chloroform and Haloacetic Acids (HAAs) which pose a long-term health risk to water consumers when at elevated levels. Our water system can only meet this challenge by an effort to control the amount of natural organic material getting into in the water prior to disinfection. (Health Canada)