Hudson’s Hope faces critical WTP loan vote amid hydro project challenges

UPDATE: On October 7, local officials announced that residents voted in favour of authorizing the water treatment plant loan.

When the northeastern British Columbia community of Hudson’s Hope tried to accommodate the largest hydro project in the province, few in the district of just under 1,000 on the Peace River foresaw that they would end up hosting a public vote over the major challenges it created for the local water supply. 

The final round of local bylaw voting for a $4.7 million loan is scheduled to take place on October 5, as residents decide whether to pursue new water treatment equipment that will impact property taxes for more than a decade.  

“This is a big deal — borrowing money,” Hudson’s Hope Mayor Travous Quibell told a September open house crowd. “There are a lot of very important timelines that have to be held to, to make this happen.”  

It all began in 2015, when the $16-billion Site C Dam project by BC Hydro required a berm to protect Hudson’s Hope from erosion and higher water levels. The berm impacted the Peace River’s surface water quality, and forced the community to build two wells and a reverse osmosis well-water treatment plant. 

“Shortly after the new water treatment plant was implemented, the well water quality unexpectedly started deteriorating, causing several system failures, significant maintenance requirements, and production issues, resulting in substantial damage to the reverse osmosis membranes and equipment,” Hudson’s Hope CAO Crystal Brown announced in a statement to residents. 

High dissolved solids, elevated sodium, and iron-reducing bacteria were found in the well water, forcing district operators to complete a lengthy backwashing procedure almost daily. The situation became unsustainable and eventually led to months of boil water and do not consume advisories in 2022, while the hydro project continued construction.  

The temporary water treatment plant’s operators decided to abandon the reserves osmosis process for a clarification-filtration-disinfection process to meet health requirements. So, when Hudson’s Hope returned to piping water from the Peace River, local officials began filtering it through a rented Veolia mobile ballasted flocculation clarifier trailer for about $32,000 per month.  

After stretching the clarifier’s output at times to double its capacity, the water was filtered and treated with UV disinfection before getting dosed with chlorine and sent to distribution, according to district documents. 

An additional problem with the temporary water treatment plant included manganese, as well as algae growth on the intakes during the spring and summer, which requires manual cleaning with divers. 

“We call this project a Fresh Approach to Water because when I came on with the project back way back in 2021, you recall the water wasn’t so fresh,” Mark DeGagne, a senior municipal and water resources engineer with McElhanney, told a September open house crowd.  

If Hudson’s Hope residents vote against borrowing the money, local officials say they will need to secure alternative funding, return the rented clarifier, and potentially issue a boil water notice, as the river water will not be considered potable. If residents vote in favour of the loan, local officials will work with a clarifier supplier to ensure that the new equipment fits the plant’s current space with as little modification as possible.  

The $4.7-million loan covers the $1.5 million cost of a modular clarifier as well as costs associated with demolition, engineering and electrical, and connecting to a new intake.         

Leading up to the community loan vote, many residents in Hudson’s Hope  expressed dismay over having to cover the costs of a water source problem seen to have been created by BC Hydro. Just prior to voting day, the utility released a statement on September 20 that noted how BC Hydro has provided nearly $6 million to the district for water treatment costs to date. Utility officials also suggested that they would be willing to make some additional contributions as part of continuing a “strong relationship” with the district. 

“While BC Hydro has met its financial obligations under our existing agreements with

Hudson’s Hope, we have made a significant offer of additional financial support towards the completion of the permanent water treatment plant,” stated utility officials.  

In early September, Hudson’s Hope officials organized an open house event for residents to learn more about the district’s water saga with the Site C Dam ahead of the community vote. Local officials also noted that BC Hydro is beginning to fill the reservoir and that “the quality of the water during this transition time is unpredictable” and that “Hudson’s Hope will need a robust treatment system that can adapt to rapidly changing water quality.” 

The Site C Dam will provide 1,100 MW of dependable capacity and will generate about 5,100 gigawatt hours of energy each year, which is enough to power the equivalent of 450,000 homes. 

If the loan vote gets approved, local officials will also need to bury pipes below frost depth, and create a new sewer connection for wastewater.