The city of Prince Albert is rolling out a 30-kilometre waterline connecting its water treatment plant to the South Saskatchewan River following last Thursday's Husky Energy oil spill. We see a giant, dark tube sitting on the brown dirt below deep blue skies on the prairie landscape.

The city of Prince Albert is rolling out a 30-kilometre waterline connecting its water treatment plant to the South Saskatchewan River following last Thursday's Husky Energy oil spill.
Photo Credit: CBC / Trevor Bothorel

Ill-effects of oil spill felt in northern Saskatchewan

Work crews continue to work frantically to build a 30-kilometre emergency water line that will bring fresh water to Saskatchewan’s third largest city following an oil leak last Thursday that sent between 200,000 and 250,000 litres of crude oil into the North Saskatchewan River.

On Monday, Prince Albert, a city of 35,000 residents, declared a state of emergency and shut off its water intake from the river to its water treatment plant as an oil plume moves closer to the city.

The slick has now travelled about 370 kilometres down river from a breach at a Husky Energy pipeline near Maidstone.

Booms set up to slow the flow have failed and the slick is now approaching Prince Albert.

The city is using is reserve water supply, which is expected to last a week.

Meanwhile, the city of North Battleford shut down its intake on Friday and is relying on a limited supply from wells.

The crisis could affect some 70,000 people and a Saskatchewan government official says affected communities can expect precautionary drinking water measures to be in place for weeks or even months.

“It’s not going to be a short-term event,” Sam Ferris with Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency said Monday.

“It could go on for some time.”

Work on the emergency waterline that will connect the South Saskatchewan River to Prince Albert’s water treatment plant began Sunday.

Prince Albert’s state of emergency will allow the city to evacuate neighbourhoods and take other measures to deal with the threat.

Residents and businesses have also been placed under strict water restrictions.

Calgary-based Husky has apologized and accepted full responsibility for the event and the cleanup.

The pipeline, built in 1997, runs from Husky’s heavy oil operations to its facilities in Lloydminster.

With CP and CBC files.

Categories: Economy, Environment & Animal Life, Health, Internet, Science & Technology, Society
Tags: , ,

Do you want to report an error or a typo? Click here!

For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.