The City of Saskatoon has moved to reassure residents that an upstream diesel spill in the South Saskatchewan River will not compromise the quality of the city's drinking water. Officials confirmed on Monday that the spill, which originated near Medicine Hat, Alberta, will dissipate long before it reaches Saskatoon's two main drinking water intakes.
Spill Details and Response
According to reports, approximately 800 litres of diesel were released from a Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) locomotive engine near Medicine Hat. Russ Monroe, director of Saskatoon Water, stated that the spill will essentially evaporate before it reaches the vast Lake Diefenbaker, and certainly before it arrives in Saskatoon.
“At this time, I can confirm that the diesel spill will not have a negative impact on the quality of potable water for the City of Saskatoon and the surrounding municipalities we serve,” Monroe said during a news conference on Monday.
Water Intake Design Offers Protection
Monroe explained that Saskatoon's water intakes are located below the river's surface, making them less vulnerable to spills of light substances like diesel, which tend to float. “The intakes themselves are about midstream in the water flows, so things like diesel that are lighter than water tend to stand on top, and we don’t take that into the intake,” he noted.
He further emphasized that there is no expectation that any traceable amount of the spill will reach Saskatoon, thanks in part to the massive volume of Lake Diefenbaker, which lies in the spill's path. “It’s a tremendous volume of water,” Monroe said about the lake.
Precautionary Measures in Leader, Sask.
The town of Leader, Saskatchewan, which is situated upstream of Lake Diefenbaker, announced on Facebook that it would rely on its reservoir until the spill passes through, as a precautionary measure.
Preparedness for Potential Contamination
Saskatoon has previously examined its preparedness for potential river contamination. When asked what would happen if a spill occurred downstream of Lake Diefenbaker, Monroe said the response would depend on the situation and the size of the spill, noting that this particular spill is relatively small.
He added that the city, which uses an average of about 120 million litres of water per day, has a reservoir capacity of 100 million litres. “The worst-case scenario … we would shut down. We go to reservoir capacity, water restrictions as the spill basically passes by,” he explained.
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