SLSA Newsletter Update - April 8, 2008

As you are likely aware, Alberta Environment imposed an Enforcement Order on Boyle last October ordering them to reduce their diversion of water from Skeleton Lake. Alberta Environment issued the order after the Village of Boyle had a significant jump in their water consumption resulting in them exceeding their annual allowance of water from Skeleton Lake only nine months into the year. Since then, Boyle has been working on a water conservation plan to reduce their consumption while, at the same time, working with government departments and the Aspen Regional Water Commission to fast-track the completion of the Colinton to Boyle pipeline.

Boyle's diversion from May through November of 2007 was significantly higher than it had been in the previous four years – ranging from 2 million to 10 million litres per month more than the same month's average of the prior four years. However, starting in December, 2007, Boyle's efforts to reduce consumption started paying off and they started bringing their consumption down to the levels recorded in previous years. In December, Boyle actually decreased their consumption by about 1.4 million litres from their average amount diverted in the previous four Decembers.

SLSA has been meeting with representatives of the County of Athabasca, the Aspen Regional Water Commission, the Village of Boyle and Alberta Environment over the past six months, and continue to do so, to continue to pursue our goal of reducing all of the man-made impacts on the level of Skeleton Lake as quickly as possible. Since the Enforcement Order was imposed last October, we have made significant headway in our relationship with the County and with Boyle and in convincing them of the urgency of this problem. We are very pleased with the response we have recently received from all of the parties we have been working with.

Most recently, Boyle has announced that they have found a very serious leak in the Villages distribution system, which they have now repaired, and which they feel will result in an additional 24% reduction in their consumption. Boyle has committed to taking steps to ensure there are no other leaks, they are putting meters on the trailers in the trailer park, are increasing their water rates, have reduced usage at the truck fill, have changed their water treatment processes to reduce water use and are taking other steps to conserve water. We have not yet seen Boyle's full water conservation plan but are advised that Alberta Environment continues to work closely with Boyle to ensure all reasonable steps are taken to further conserve water.

Boyle representatives have been quoted in the Athabasca Advocate recently as believing the enforcement order should now be lifted. Alberta Environment has assured us that the order will remain in place and Boyle will continue to be required to keep their water diversion within the amounts specified in their licence.

We have received questions about the timing of the pipeline and the water treatment plant and would like to share some information with you on the timing of those events. The Aspen Regional Water Commission has been established and Boyle has agreed to start taking their water from the Athabasca River as soon as possible. Currently, the pipeline from Athabasca to Colinton has been completed and is operational. Alberta Infrastructure and Alberta Environment appear to be convinced that connecting Boyle to the Athabasca-Colinton pipeline is critical and they have moved up the funding and the timeline for the construction of that pipeline to respond to the concerns that have been raised.

Currently, it is hoped that the pipeline will be completed and ready to be put into operation prior to the end of 2008. That is an aggressive, optimistic timetable that will require everything to come together as currently hoped and planned. We are optimistic that such a timetable is achievable, however, construction projects such as this can never be guaranteed and it is possible construction could carry over into 2009. If that were to occur, our worst-case scenario is that the pipeline might not be complete until spring or summer of 2009.

The Athabasca water treatment plant is not scheduled for completion as quickly, however. It looks like that water treatment plant would not be completed until one or two years after the completion of the Colinton to Boyle pipeline. In the meantime, Boyle has requested the Town of Athabasca sell Boyle their current surplus water to supplement the water that Boyle diverts from Skeleton Lake. This might equal a further reduction of 20% to 30% from Boyle's diversion. Until Boyle is hooked up to the new water treatment plant, we would ask people to haul their water from Colinton if possible. The Colinton truck fill is now operational.

So, in summary, Boyle diverted approximately 244 million litres of water from Skeleton Lake in 2007. During 2008 they are on track to divert 185 million litres of water and, once they are hooked up to the old Athabasca water treatment plant, this could drop to 140 million litres per year. Ultimately, once they are hooked up to the new Athabasca water treatment plant, their diversion from Skeleton Lake will drop to zero.

So, SLSA’s goals with respect to Boyle's division from Skeleton Lake are currently:

1. Ensure that Boyle stops their diversion from Skeleton Lake as quickly as they possibly can.
2. In the interim, reduce Boyle's consumption of Skeleton Lake water to the lowest possible amount.
3. Once the Colinton to Boyle leg of the water pipeline is complete, start drawing as much surplus as the Town of Athabasca has available to supplement Boyle's water supply.

SLSA is planning their town hall meetings again this spring and we hope to have speakers from Alberta Environment, the Aspen Regional Water Commission and the Village of Boyle to tell us more about the status of these projects. SLSA also continues to work on plans to develop a water management plan which maintains the potential to pipe water into Skeleton Lake if that becomes necessary. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend one or both of the meetings set out below.

2008 SLSA TOWN HALL MEETINGS

EDMONTON - Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 7 p.m., at the Beverly Heights Community Hall, 4209 111 Avenue, 
BOYLE - Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. at the Boyle Community Centre. 

Both meetings will cover the same content but each will have different guest speakers.