Addressing the problems associated with urbanization and water drainage and quality

Times Contributor

 

Erwin Braun P.L.(Eng), appealed to council to consider some of the stresses that increased urbanization is placing on the County’s water resources.

“Drainage is a huge issue,” said Braun. 

Changes in the topography occurring after the building of new roads, housing projects and resource development projects is using the WID canal system for drainage relief and overflow.

The canals were not supposed to act as a conduit or dam.

He said other irrigation districts were experiencing similar problems and that “we are not in this alone.” 

He requested that a county councillor, public works officer, CAO and possibly other municipal officials meet with Alberta WaterSMART to brainstorm about solutions to this issue. WaterSMART is a not for profit society dedicated to the improvement of water management awareness, technologies and practices in Alberta.

Braun and Gerry Van Oostwaard, County Public Works Manager, gave an example of a situation where a WID culvert was removed and the canal area backfilled but the result left drainage problems for a landowner. 

While both the county and WID try their best to solve these problems for the landowner, sometimes the drainage cannot be remedied. Braun would like to come up with innovative ways to deal with water quality and drainage problems.