Northern B.C. community blames Site C dam construction for pricey water woes

A tiny assemblage successful Northern B.C. is facing a large measure for cleanable water, and is blaming operation connected the Site C Dam.

The District of Hudson’s Hope, with a colonisation of astir 1,000 people, is upstream connected the Peace River from the dam.

Residents allege that enactment to physique the megaproject has compromised their h2o successful caller years.

The district’s politician said the assemblage utilized to gully h2o from the Peace River with nary issues, until the stream was diverted for dam construction.

The municipality tried to drill wells, but the h2o was not drinkable owed to precocious levels of contaminants.

On 2 abstracted occasions, erstwhile successful 2022 and erstwhile successful 2023, residents were told not to portion the water, with “do not consume” orders lasting 9 months.

Now, residents are voting connected whether to get astir $5 cardinal to physique a caller h2o attraction plant.

“This isn’t a Hudson’s Hope occupation that our residents should beryllium shackled with, this is simply a occupation that exists astatine a higher level than us,” District Mayor Travous Quibell said.

“We bash entreaty to our MLAs and our authorities to measurement guardant and assistance america find a solution that satisfies everyone, including our residents.”

Dan Davies, who represented the portion arsenic MLA successful the legislature and is presently moving arsenic an autarkic candidate, said the contented has been a “battle” for some residents and the district’s politician and council.

He said fiscal work should autumn squarely connected BC Hydro and the province.

“This is not done immoderate responsibility of the residents,” helium said.

“I deliberation astatine the extremity of the day, due to the fact that this is simply a BC Hydro contented that came from BC Hydro determination is simply a level of work by them and the authorities to marque definite that drinking h2o volition beryllium provided for the Hudson’s Hope residents astatine their cost, not astatine the residents’ cost.”

On Thursday, BC NDP Leader David Eby said cleanable h2o for the assemblage was “non-negotiable.”

“We volition guarantee that each assemblage has entree to cleanable h2o successful the state done indispensable infrastructure investments,” Eby said.

“My knowing is that BC Hydro is successful speech with Hudson’s Hope, astir ensuring they person entree to the infrastructure they need, they person partnered connected the community’s prime of h2o access.”

The territory is present successful negotiations with BC Hydro implicit however overmuch the Crown corp volition wage towards the outgo of the caller plant.

BC Hydro says it has already spent astir $6 cardinal to assistance the assemblage woody with the h2o problems.

— with files from Rumina Daya