Eden Valley Water Treatment Plant Upgrade – Public Comments Invited

June 19, 2025 – Indigenous Services Canada must determine whether the proposed Eden Valley Water Treatment Plant Upgrade project, located in Eden Valley 216 is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Indigenous Services Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

Written comments must be submitted by July 20, 2025 to:

Indigenous Services Canada
Environmental Review Process Alberta Region
630 Canada Place, 9700 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4G2
Email: paeab-erpab@sac-isc.gc.ca

The Proposed Project

Bearspaw First Nation is proposing the construction of a new water treatment plant (WTP) to supply water to the residents of Eden Valley 216 and to replace the existing temporary water treatment system. The original WTP was completely destroyed by a fire in 2022 at such time the temporary WTP was installed. The Project will be located at Eden Valley 216 approximately ~130m south of Highway 541, just immediately south of the Highwood River, in LSD-01-15-017-04 W5M & LSD-16-10-017-04 W4M. The overall footprint of the project is 4,330 square metres.

Activities of the Project includes, demolition and removal of the burned WTP foundation to accommodate construction of the new WTP; expanded residual settling pond; construction of new residual settling pond; relocation and construction of a new stormwater drainage channel east of the WTP; installation of perimeter fence around the entire reconstructed WTP facility; installation of a new vault with pumps at the existing raw water storage reservoir.

No tree clearing is anticipated for this project, the new outer perimeter fence shall only encompass previously disturbed land. Installation of the new vault and pumps for the raw water storage facility will largely occur within previously disturbed (compacted and graveled) ground. The nearest waterbody relative to the proposed WTP is the Highwood River (ID2065). However, the WTP is >30m away from the bed and shore of the Highwood River and the scope of the project will not include any in-stream works (e.g. intake/outfall maintenance).