Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Sewage Spill
Last updated on April 4, 2023DISCLAIMER: Information provided is based on reports received by Emergency Management B.C. Information provided is considered to be current at the time of posting, but is subject to change as new information becomes available.
Incident Description
| Incident Date | February 17, 2017 |
|---|---|
| Name | Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Sewage Spill (DGIR: 163339) |
| Source | Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Columbia Pollution Control Treatment Plant |
| Nearest Community | Trail, B.C. |
| Spilled Content | Approximately 3,556,000 litres of effluent has been released at this time (10:54 AM - February 17, 2017) |
| Who is involved? | B.C. Ministry of Environment, B.C. Interior Health, Public Safety Canada, EMBC, Regional District of Kootenay Boundary. |
Response Phase Detail
The responsible person or spiller is legally required to clean-up or manage the clean-up of a spill. In incidents where the responsible person is unknown, unable or unwilling to manage the clean up, the Ministry of Environment may assume the role. The updates below reflect the Ministry’s oversight of the spillers’ actions; details describe the spill response phase, only, and not the complete lifecycle of the spill. See More Information for other related reports.
Updates are in reverse chronological order, with the most recent at the top. Industry-specific language may be explained in the Glossary of Terms (PDF).
Most Recent Update
February 18, 2017 - 8:08 AM
Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Columbia Pollution Control Treatment Plant is now below permitted discharge levels.
Previous Updates
February 17, 2017 - 10:54 AM
Heavy rains and snow melt has caused an overflow at the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Columbia Pollution Control Treatment Plant. Effluent has been released into the Columbia River. This release occurred over a 24 hour period.
Due to the significant flow in the Columbia River, the release will dilute fairly quickly. The city of Trail is located upstream from the treatment plant. Sewage volume received by the treatment plant remains relatively constant from day to day. The increased flow to the treatment plant system is primarily rain water and snow melt. As a result, the effluent has already been diluted prior to being released into the river. There are no nearby downstream water intakes at risk and no recreational areas in use at this time. A B.C. Ministry of Environment response officer is monitoring the situation.