Halifax Water says supply remains safe, as wildfire burns near facility

Halifax Water says its water supply remains safe as a wildfire burns just a few kilometres away from one of its large watersheds. 

The utility operates a pumping station and water treatment facility at Pockwock Lake, which supplies water to the Lower Sackville, Bedford and Halifax areas.

That facility sits just northwest of where the fire is burning, and is located inside an emergency zone.

"We are checking water samples, including additional water samples, to make sure the quality of the water stays consistently safe," Jeff Myrick, the utility's communications manager, told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Nova Scotia on Wednesday.

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Myrick said the Pockwock Lake has been used as a water source for helicopters and water bombers due to its proximity to the fire. 

"We've been putting a lot of emphasis on ensuring that we are doing the utmost to protect such a sensitive and strategic water supply," he said, adding that any fuel or oil from those aircraft filtered out by the facility.

Nearby fire

The fire, which continues to burn in the Tantallon-Hammonds Plains area, started on Sunday, leaving about 200 structures damaged or destroyed.

Myrick said on Sunday, the fire was about four or five kilometres away from the facility. That was the closest the fire has been so far.

Still, the facility is operating as normal, but it is running on emergency backup power and fuel is being delivered to keep it going, he said.

"The only thing that we've actually lost to date in terms of infrastructure, which is very little thankfully, is a cross culvert on the Hammonds Plain Road which caught fire and was destroyed."

He said the Pockwock facility is in a fairly open area and the utility does have some of its own firefighting capabilities, if the fire were to come closer.

"We do have plans in place to, of course, get our people out of there as soon as possible because that's the first priority is the safety of our own people."

Myrick said it the facility had to be abandoned, it could operate on its own for a short period of time. 

"If it needed to be shut down, it could range anywhere from a water conservation advisory to a boil-water advisory to a do-not-consume advisory."

Myrick said if that becomes the case, the utility would work with emergency partners to supply potable water.

What about the evacuated area

While the Halifax Water supply remains safe, some homes that are supplied by wells in the evacuation zone may need to test their supply.

Erica Fleck, the director of emergency management for the Halifax Halifax Regional Municipality, said her team will be looking for portable potable water trailers when residents return to those areas. 

"Obviously, we know water is going to be an issue for drinking water, et cetera, as we start to open up communities," Fleck said during a municipal news briefing Wednesday.

"Wells will need to be checked and serviced, so we want to make sure there is clean drinking water.