Since 2005, the issue of wastewater — its treatment and discharge — has put the Town of Strathmore (40 kilometres east of Calgary) and Siksika Nation at odds. An Alberta Environment decision allowing the Town to discharge its wastewater effluent into a secondary channel to the Bow River led Siksika Nation to appeal the decision. Siksika Nation, downstream of the effluent outflow, was concerned for the effluent's impact on the river's ecosystem, its water supply, and recreational and traditional use of the river (EAB 2007c; CBC 2007). Finally, almost two years after the Environmental Appeal Board (EAB) had recommended substantial amendments to the original approval, the Town of Strathmore and Siksika Nation are both pleased with the agreement (Strathmore Standard 2009).

The Town and Nation agreed that, within three years, wastewater effluent would no longer enter the secondary channel of the Bow River that it currently enters, just at the edge of the Nation’s land. Instead the Town will construct a channel that will move the effluent to the mainstem of the river, further away from the reserve. Construction of a new wastewater treatment plant for Strathmore — to begin this spring — also reduces the Nation’s concern and contributed to the agreement (Strathmore Standard 2009).

This new wastewater treatment plant will have expanded capacity to handle Strathmore’s growth with the ability to treat wastewater for up to 50,000 people and sufficient for years to come. (Strathmore’s population was a little over 11,000 people as of 2007.) The new plant will also improve water quality by removing phosphorus, which causes water quality problems and overgrowth of algae. The cost of the channel is estimated to be about $2.5 million, ideally complete in 2010, and $20 million for the treatment plant (Strathmore Standard 2009). But it will be cheaper than trucking sewage to Calgary on a daily basis.

Sources

CBC. February 12, 2007. First Nation appeals town's wastewater pipeline.

EAB (Environmental Appeal Board). 2007a. Executive Summary: Report and Recommendations.

EAB (Environmental Appeal Board). 2007c. Status of active appeals: Town of Strathmore EAB 05-053, 054 & 06-070 May 23, 2007.