Blackfalds tells Lacombe County $12M storm water option is unviable

The debate over which direction the Town of Blackfalds should direct its storm water rages on.
 
Blackfalds Mayor Melodie Stol presented to Lacombe County council Thursday afternoon, insisting the County’s suggestion for Blackfalds to spend $12+ million on an inter-basin water transfer is unviable.

That option requires a pump to convey water upstream to the Blindman River. 

Stol says to put in the infrastructure for their preferred option to allow gravity to take storm water north to Lacombe Lake would cost just $2 million and would meet or exceed all provincial standards for water quality.

“Someone made an interesting comment [today] asking is the lake like a bathtub that’s full? Well, it’s not really. It’s like a bathub that always has some water draining into it and always has some water draining out of it,” she says. “Flow is important for the health of any water body. With the flow and lake level issues, that’s something Lacombe County, regardless of what happens with this plan, Lacombe County is going to have to address.”

Stol adds Blackfalds is a willing partner in resolving those issues, but adds everyone has a responsibility to ensure the good health of the Battle River watershed.

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County Reeve Paula Law says there are still many questions which remain unanswered.

“They’re still working with Alberta Environment — there are a number of landowners and residential owners around Lacombe Lake that have some questions and concerns and we’re just waiting for some more answers,” she says. “I don’t know where this is going to go.”

One thing the two sides were able to agree on is that there needs to be more public education on what’s happening. How that public engagement will look is yet to be determined.

“Some people are very passionate about the suituation and are looking for a zero sum answer,” Stol continues. “It’s not reasonable nor possible, so we’re just trying to do the best that we can. We have to make these decisions with so many different inputs — it’s just behoven on us to respect everyone, but we still in the end have to make decisions off of solid science.”

Stol says there is no timeline to hear back from Alberta Environment, but admits it’s good they’re being thorough.