Cochrane, Calgary drinking water remains safe after wastewater leaks into Bow River

The water in Cochrane remains safe to drink, officials say, as work continues following a main sewer line break Saturday that left wastewater seeping into the Bow River.

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, the town said it has heard the concerns of residents on whether the water is safe to consume following the incident, reassuring Cochranites that this continues to be the case.

Cochrane’s drinking water remains safe.
We’ve heard your concerns about the safety of our water. And we want to reassure you that our water is, and continues to be, safe to drink.
Do your part to conserve water.
We’ll continue to keep you informed as we respond to this situation. pic.twitter.com/HE5MWhXiuG

— Town of Cochrane (@TownofCochrane) October 23, 2023

At the same time, officials continue to ask residents to conserve water, as the incident has left the town’s reservoir at below capacity.

This can be done by reducing shower times, washing dishes by hand, and limiting laundry.

Problems began Saturday night when a contractor completing work on behalf of the town impacted wastewater and water pipelines while setting up for drilling operations, according to the town.

The impact area was right next to the Bow River.

Residents of the town received an emergency alert just before 10 p.m. Saturday, which said access to the river is closed from east of Highway 22 at Riverfront Park downstream to Calgary.

Late Sunday, the town said the previously planned road closure at Riverview Drive and Griffin Road had been lifted as it was no longer necessary for the ongoing work.

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Read more: Cochrane sewer line continues to pour waste into Bow River, water safe to drink

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The town activated its Emergency Coordination Centre at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, which is meant to support the town’s Incident Command Post for “large or long duration emergency events.” It consists of groups, like RCMP and fire services, who carry out the town council’s statutory powers and obligations to mitigate the emergency.

Cochrane said previously it’s working to address the issue alongside the City of Calgary, Rocky View County and Alberta Environment and Alberta Health Services.

The latest update from the City of Calgary came Sunday, with officials saying the city’s water remains safe to drink.

It added that as of Sunday morning, officials hadn’t seen any change in water quality at the Bearspaw Treatment Plant.

However, the city said it is conducting extra water quality sampling on the Bow River and will provide updates when they’re available.

-With files from Alejandro Melgar and Dione Wearmouth