Turner Valley Water is deemed safe

Some Turner Valley residents living near the gas plant said concerns over contaminants have them wondering if their well water is safe to drink.
Last week Mark Chapman, the owner of an environmental company and a Turner Valley resident, said government documents show that contaminants such as mercury and hydrocarbons have seeped into the ground water at the gas plant site and it is only a matter of time before those contaminants reach the Sheep River.
Kevin and Bertha Glinz have sold their home on Royalite Way, which is located on the other side of the river across from the Turner Valley Gas Plant, and are moving east to Blackie.
The couple said the water issue played a part in their decision to leave Turner Valley.
'We buy water because of the taste,' said Bertha Glinz. 'I break out in a rash when I bathe in it.'
The Glinzes said they have not had their well tested but said they became concerned that contaminants from the gas plant may be polluting their well water when television crews from Calgary brought the issue to their attention three weeks ago.
The Glinzes neighbor, who asked not to be named, said he has tested his well twice in three years and said no contaminants have been found.
'Until I see proof I'm not going to get too concerned,' said the Royalite resident.
'Now that the concerns have been raised I'm sure they will do some testing at the plant,' he added.
Alberta Community Development recently reinstated a river monitoring program on the Sheep River adjacent to the gas plant site. Testing completed on April 10 showed no dissolved hydrocarbons in the tested areas.
Chapman said towns that draw their drinking water off the Sheep River should also be concerned that the contaminated ground water could reach their water source.
Tom Dougall, public works foreman for the Town of Black Diamond, said the town's residents should not be concerned that their water is contaminated.
He said recent testing done by an independent lab showed the town's treated water was well within Canadian guidelines. The town added mercury to its list of testable substances and found that it was five times lower than the Canadian requirements.
Alberta Community Development announced that they had been given $2.7 million in funding to clean up contaminants on the site over the next two years.
A public meeting to discuss the gas plant contamination is pending.

By Darlene Casten
Staff reporter
From, the OKOTOKS WESTERN WHEEL, April 23, 2003