Pressure continues to mount for the provincial government to protect and remedy a water source in Spallumcheen.
The Save Hullcar Aquifer Team (SHAT) has requested, and received, a letter of support from township council that calls for the protection and remediation of the Hullcar aquifers be issued by the province.
The University of Victoria-based Environmental Law Centre Clinic will present the request on behalf of SHAT.
“The members of the team truly appreciate council’s support,” said SHAT member Al Price.
Township council sent a letter in April 2015 to Environment Minister Mary Polak, and copied the letter to the ministries of health and agriculture.
Spallumcheen supported a request from the Steele Springs Water District, which is serviced by the Hullcar aquifers, who asked for a moratorium on spraying effluent on a dairy farm in question, adjacent to Steele Springs, until nitrate levels dropped below three parts per million (PPM).
The water district has been under a Do Not Drink advisory from Interior Health since March 2014 because nitrate levels in the water source went past the 10 PPM maximum allowed under the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines.
Polak responded in Aug. 2015, stating a moratorium was “not an appropriate response at this time.”
Nitrate testing by the Steele Springs Water District and the ministry of environment show that nitrate levels steadily decreased from 13 PPM in February 2015 to nine PPM in September 2015, but rose again to 12.50 PPM in December.
Spallumcheen Coun. Joe Van Tienhoven questioned why the government is reluctant to conduct testing at deeper levels, referring to a letter the township received from Arlene Paton, assistant deputy minister for population and public health, who met with council members during the UBCM convention in Vancouver in September.
Paton said the ministry of agriculture confirmed that soil testing of nitrates prior to manure applications continues to be required on the farm in question at depths of zero-to-six inches, six-to-12 inches and 12-to-24 inches.
“Testing for nitrates deeper in the soil profile on the farm properties is not being considered by any of our agencies,” said Paton.
Coun. Christine Fraser said the township hears regularly from residents, such as Wanda Bristol ,about the water contamination.
Bristol, in a two-page letter, said “impartial monitoring of the soil nutrient profile by the B.C. government in the Hullcar valley would pinpoint the source of contamination. Remedial steps would then be enforced to prevent further contamination.”
“I feel we should be sending these letters to the agriculture and environment ministries to show the public is quite concerned,” said Fraser.
“Any letters we get, we should forward on to the ministries. That would have more impact to show them.”