Sewage Spill Nelson

Disclaimer:

• Information provided is based on reports received by Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR)
• Information provided is considered to be current at the time of posting, but is subject to change

Incident description

Incident Date	March 28, 2024
Name	DGIR: 241350
Source	Wastewater pipeline
Nearest Community	Nelson, B.C.
Spilled Content	Macerated Sewage
Who is involved	Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV), Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR), Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship (LWRS), Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Interior Health, First Nation Health Authority (FNHA), Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK), Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB), City of Nelson, City of Castlegar, City of Trail

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Response phase details

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 cleanup, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV) 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. Visit the 'More information' page for other 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, 106KB).

Most recent updates

April 3

A blockage at the source of the leak was identified in the pipeline. Therefore, the estimated volume of sewage released since the weekend has significantly decreased. The total volume of released sewage is to be determined.

Divers began surveying the pipeline April 2. The source of the leak was found today and repaired.

A coordination call was held was held with ENV, the City of Nelson, and local authorities to discuss updates and next steps.

The emergency response work to this incident has concluded. No further updates to this webpage are expected. ENV will continue to monitor remediation progress.

April 1

Sewage continues to leak into the Kootenay River.

A dive team has been deployed from Vancouver, expected to arrive April 2 to locate and stop the leak.

A coordination call is planned April 3 with ENV, the City of Nelson, and local authorities.

The City of Nelson will be coordinating sampling in the river.

ENV is assessing downstream impacts to determine additional sampling considerations.

ENV has requested the City of Nelson to continue to provide further information on the incident and spill response activities.

March 30

The sewage leak from the pipeline is ongoing. The sewage is macerated, significantly reducing the presence of solids.

On March 28, a coordination call was held with ENV, the City of Nelson, and local authorities to discuss potential impacts to human health and the environment.

The wastewater pipeline is located at a depth of up to 100 feet in the Kootenay River. The flow of the Kootenay River is much greater than the rate of the sewage leak. This is expected to reduce potential impact to wildlife in the Kootenay River.

Health authorities expect the potential impact to human health to be low. Private and public water extraction points from the Kootenay River are a significant distance from the point of release.

ENV continues to work with the City of Nelson to implement spill response actions, implement environmental monitoring programs, promote replacement of the pipeline, and ensure contingency plans are in place if further leaks occur on the pipeline.

March 28

On March 27 a leak in the City of Nelson’s municipal wastewater pipeline was identified. The leak is on the bottom of the Kootenay River, south of the City of Nelson. It is estimated that 1,000 cubic meters (1,000,000 liters) of sewage is being released per day.

The City of Nelson retained a diving team to repair the leak. The diving team is expected on April 2, at the earliest.

ENV is working with the City of Nelson to monitor the incident and coordinate sampling to determine potential impacts. A liquid waste management plan to update aging municipal wastewater infrastructure is in development by the City of Nelson.

Applicable federal agencies, provincial agencies, health authorities, First Nations, and local communities have been notified.