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EPCOR’s Source Water Protection Plan for the North Saskatchewan River – New Challenges

and Directions

Mike Christensen, M.Sc., P.Biol.,

Steve Craik, Ph. D., P. Eng. Steph Neufeld, M. Sc.

EPCOR Water Canada

PFSRB Annual Conference

October 19, 2017

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■ EPCOR’s Source Water Protection Plan

■ Recent variability/changes in water quality

■ Hydrocarbon spill mitigation

■ Water quantity and climate change

■ Upstream river water quality monitoring program

Outline

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EPCOR’s Operations ■ EPCOR builds, owns and operates water and wastewater

treatment facilities, sanitary and stormwater systems and infrastructure in Canada and the United States

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Water/Wastewater Plants in Edmonton

Rossdale

WTP

E.L. Smith WTP

Capital Region WWTP Gold Bar WWTP

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North Saskatchewan Watershed in Alberta

■ EPCOR builds

Major Features 1.2 million people 20 counties 2 hydro-electric reservoirs 3 coal fired power plants Large petrochemical sector Large agricultural sector Forestry 12 Sub-basins

Source: NSWA 2012

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EPCOR’s Watershed Protection Plan Goals

■ To ensure clean and adequate water supplies for all water treatment plants that EPCOR operates through a watershed approach

■ To ensure minimal effects of operations on water quality and aquatic ecosystem health to receiving water bodies

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■ There are multiple, competing land and water planning and research initiatives in Alberta’s watersheds – including Source Water Protection Planning

■ Integration within these frameworks is the most effective way to ensure source water objectives are achieved

■ EPCOR Water integrates through its adaptive Watershed Protection Program

■ Source Water Protection Planning is now mandated in Alberta for all drinking water systems as part of Drinking Water Safety Plans

Overview of Source Water Protection

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EPCOR’s Approach

Watershed Management Working in partnership to set objectives and

targets for the watershed, water quality, and

quantity and develop water policies that

influence management.

Implementation Supporting programs and organizations that

implement programs to reduce contaminants

entering source waters and ensure healthy

aquatic environments and watersheds.

Research and Monitoring • gathering scientific data on water quality

and quantity

• fostering collaborative long-term monitoring

programs

• evaluating source waters and effluent

impacts

• participating in research partnerships.

Education and Awareness

Educating and informing industry,

stakeholders, and the public of the importance

of watershed protection and best

management practices through strategic

partnerships

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High Colour Event: A New Normal?

■ Colour exceeded 200 TCU and remained elevated until December

■ Highest colour observed in 30 years

■ Will start chemical characterization of colour

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Co

lou

r (T

CU

)

Average

2005

2007

2011

2013

2016

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Early Spring Melt: A New Normal?

Early melt

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Research and Monitoring: Land Use

²

0 10 20 30 405Kilometers

1 cm = 20 kmScale

2015 Data

Status

Abandoned

Discontinued

Operational

Planned

Removed

Pipelines

Huffington Post – July 23, 2016

Financial Post – July 25, 2016

CBC – August 2, 2016

CBC – November 2, 2016

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Pipelines Upstream of Edmonton

²

0 10 20 30 405Kilometers

1 cm = 20 kmScale

2015 Data

Status

Abandoned

Discontinued

Operational

Planned

Removed

Data Sources: Government of Alberta Alberta Energy Regulator

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■ Further understanding what products could enter the river, and where

■ Evaluation of alternative drinking water supplies for emergencies

■ Research into the treatability of hydrocarbon contaminated water using existing treatment plants

■ Exploration of new technologies for water treatment plant long-term plan

Spill Mitigation Research

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Water Supply Research

Water supply to the Capital Region: ~90% comes from 4 upper sub-basins

~2% of annual flow from glaciers

50% of annual flow to Sask - PPWB (1969)

Source: Golder 2008

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■ Two dams regulating flow in watershed • Brazeau built in 1961

• Bighorn built in 1972.

■ Bighorn dam reservoir 1,418,208 dam3. • Abraham Lake

■ Brazeau reservoir 485,382 dam3.

Pre- and Post-Dam Flows in NSR

Crescent Falls - Bighorn Canyon

112 114 132

228 251

364 354

225

183 152

130 118

36 33 39

142

298

568 554

416

261

134

69 42

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Ave

rage

Mo

nth

ly F

low

(cm

s)

Post Dam

Pre Dam

Glacial melt: 2%

Allocations: 26%

Consumptive use: 3%

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How much water would Edmonton use?

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Per

cen

t o

f Fl

ow

s W

ith

dra

wn

fo

r W

ater

Tre

atm

en

t

Week

Nauralized flow

Regulated FlowBased on average weekly use (2000-2015)

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1,000 Year History of Water Supply in the NSR

Crescent Falls - Bighorn Canyon

Work by Dave Sauchyn and PARC

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10

100

1,000

10,000

1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000

An

nu

al F

low

(m

3 /s)

Maximum Average Minimum

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Worst Week Every Year in 1,000 year History

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Per

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ith

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ater

Tre

atm

ent

Week

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■ Gaps in existing and historical monitoring programs (LTRN, Synoptic, EC)

■ Past and existing programs are not sustained or are limited in scope

■ Funding is limited

■ Need comprehensive, sustainable, basin wide, program to link land use to water quality

River Water Quality Monitoring Program

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NSWA 2012 IWMP

Goal 1: Water quality in the NSR is maintained or improved Watershed Management Direction 1.3: Develop and implement a

comprehensive, integrated monitoring and evaluation program

for water quality of the mainstem and tributaries of the NSR, and

for point and non-point pollution sources.

Action 1.3.2. Government of Alberta to implement a comprehensive

long-term, water-quality monitoring program for the NSR, ensuring

adequate funding arrangements are in place and providing a

database readily accessible to all stakeholders.

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Proposed Monitoring Program: From Headwaters to the Sask. Border

Source: NSWA 2010

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■ Science-based

■ Mass balance approach

■ Determination of fluxes and parameter loading

■ Linkage to land use

■ Base flow sampling

■ Event-based sampling (spring run-off, rain events)

Key Program Characteristics

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Tributary Monitoring

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0 10 20 30 405

Kilometers

Bighorn River Clearwater RiverRamRiver

Baptiste River

Nordegg River

Brazeau River

Rose Creek

TomahawkCreek

ModesteCreek

Strawberry C.MishowCreek

WabamunCreek

WeedCreek

ConjuringCreek

WhitemudCreek

Vermillion RiverSturgeon River

Redwater River

MillCreek

Gold Bar Creek

Horsehills Creek

Wedgewood C.

Data Source: Government of Alberta

• Up to 22 possible tributaries identified

• 14 high priority

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River Main Stem Monitoring

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0 10 20 30 405

Kilometers

Whirlpool Point

Below Bighorn

Saunders

Rocky Mountain House (LTRN)

Ancona

D/S Rocky Mountain House

U/S Baptiste

U/S Brazeau

Drayton Valley

Genesse Devon (LTRN)

EL Smith

Fort Sask BridgeFort Sask Rail Tressle

U/S Capital Region WWTPU/S Gold Bar WWTP

Vinca Bridge

Waskatenau

Pakan (LTRN)

Duvernay

Elk Point

Lea Park

Border (PPWB)

Rundle ParkRossdale

Data Source: Government of Alberta

• Up to 25 Possible Locations

• Enhancement of LTRN sites

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Broad spectrum of parameters:

■ Physical, Nutrients, Major Ions

■ Bacteria (coliform)

■ Parasites (Cryptosporidium, Giardia)

■ Metals (total and dissolved)

■ Trace organic compounds – priority pollutants

■ Grab samples and continuous monitoring

■ Flow monitoring

Proposed Parameters to Monitor

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CoE Edmonton Monitoring Program

and River for Life Strategy

CRIH Cumulative Effectives

Management Framework

North Saskatchewan Regional Plan

EPCOR Source Water Protection

Plan

Modelling Efforts

NSR Monitoring Program Will Support …

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Multi-Stakeholder Project Steering Committee

NSWA

Governance Communication

EPCOR Water

Funding

Source Water Protection

EPCOR Drainage EMP

AEP Operations GoA Policy

AEP MSRD

Scientific Design

Execution

CoE Sust. & Env.

CoE Interests

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$1 Million per year funding from EPCOR City of

Edmonton water rate payers

Special watershed monitoring rate

surcharge

< 15 cents per monthly

residential bill

Four years funding (2018 -2021) with possible renewal

Additional in-kind resources provided by AEP Monitoring

and Science Division

Program Funding

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Next Steps

• Complete detailed monitoring plan Nov 2017

• Set-up financial arrangements Dec 2017

• Begin monitoring Feb 2018

• Short activity reports to stakeholders Annual

• Program summary results report Early 2021

• Application for next phase funding Early 2021

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Questions?