BANFF – The capacity of Banff’s aquifer – the source of the townsite’s drinking water – is to be investigated this year.
The municipality is spending about $150,000 to hire contractors, to consider the aquifer’s future capacity, taking into account climate change and drawdown with rising visitation.
Councillor Peter Poole voiced strong support for this move.
“This is one of those things we darn well ought to do,” he said. “If we want good water and we want a long-term 10 year permit, this is the right thing to do.”
Parks Canada has asked the Town of Banff to formalize its permission to withdraw water into a 10-year water permit, as other organizations have been required to do, such as Fairmont Banff Springs and the Town of Jasper.
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing rock. Water-bearing rocks are permeable, meaning they have openings that liquids can pass through. Banff pumps it drinking water from deep wells.
Chad Townsend, the Town of Banff’s environmental services manager, said this would require a thorough environmental impact assessment related to the sustainability of water resources.
He said the work will also include an analysis of projected demand through to 2030 considering anticipated build-out limits to growth, coupled with estimated future visitation, and climate change considerations.
“We’re going to need some contracted help to really assess the aquifer,” he said.
“Aquifers aren’t like a swimming pool, it’s not a contained volume of water. It’s not an exact science, but the science related to aquifers has advanced in the last number of years.”
The last Town of Banff water master plan was completed in 2004.
While the municipality monitors groundwater levels, a related aquifer capacity study has not been conducted since prior to the adoption of that plan.
Townsend said water demand has remained more consistent than was predicted at that time and, for example, a recommended new water well wasn’t developed.
“One consultant we’ve discussed this with has indicated they would suggest we drill even more observation wells to understand the aquifer within the valley bottom.”
