Dawson Creek seeks environmental assessment exemption as it pursues new water pipeline

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — In an effort to secure an alternative water supply, the City of Dawson Creek is pursuing an environmental exemption from the province. 

According to a press release on Tuesday, July 15th, the city is seeking the exemption so it can be granted a permit to build a pipeline from a new water source, such as the Peace River or Murray River, without a full environmental impact assessment.

Tapping into groundwater aquifers became an “unviable option” for Dawson Creek when the supply was found to be brackish – with a salinity level of 0.5g and 3.0g of salt per litre – and therefore not suitable for potable water.

“Dawson Creek was not built around a major water source, unlike many other cities that developed near lakes or large rivers,” reads the release.

“[In] 2025, the pressure on our water system has only intensified. In preparation, the City of Dawson Creek has taken proactive steps over the past decades to mitigate these challenges and ensure a long-term, reliable water future for residents, businesses and the surrounding region.”

As part of Dawson Creek’s Sure Water campaign launched in 2013, the city collected “water users’” preferences from four options.

These choices included maintaining and upgrading the existing Kiskatinaw River water supply system; enhancing that existing system with increased raw-water storage to minimize drought-related impacts and water restrictions; tapping into groundwater aquifers as a backup to the existing source; and building a water pipeline from a new source such as the Peace River or Murray River.

A survey from that time found more than seven in 10 – or 71 per cent – of residents felt a new pipeline would be the best choice. 

At the time, Dawson Creek chose to “continue down the path of ensuring water security for the community,” it said, by building a new reservoir and maximizing the use of existing water treatment systems.

However, it said it continued to pursue the possibility of a pipeline, and with that in mind, has now decided to seek this exemption from the province’s environmental assessment office.

It says that the exemption process can take up to 18 months.

If the exemption is not granted, then a full environmental impact assessment would be required for a permit to build the new pipeline – a process which Dawson Creek said could take three to five years.

“The City of Dawson Creek has been advocating for the community with various provincial ministries to ensure all parties concerned have the most up-to-date information,” the statement concludes. “[This] will assist the city in providing a cost-effective and long-term solution to water needs.

“With major steps already taken over the past decade and new initiatives underway, the city remains committed to safeguarding safe, reliable water for Dawson Creek now and into the future.”

Costs forecasts and other necessary strategic planning for the project would take place once a permit is granted, the city added.

More details about Dawson Creek’s plans are available on its website.