Drinking Water Investigations

June 10, 2024

In the coming weeks, the City will continue the investigations for an alternative secondary drinking water supply in the City-owned park land alongside the Cedars Subdivision. In December, the City and Teck drilled a test well in this area, and we are now conducting a pumping test to assess the performance of the aquifer.

Contractors will be on site starting June 17th, with pumping tests to be completed on June 20th.

The City’s primary drinking water source is the Fairy Creek Source. Our secondary source, the James White Wells, are used when Fairy Creek is unavailable due to elevated turbidity. Testing by the City and Teck has found that the James White Wells are influenced by the nearby Elk River and can experience elevated selenium concentrations due to seasonal fluctuations. Testing has shown no selenium concentrations of concern in the Fairy Creek water source.

The well site is near the active bike and walking trail, Purple Monkey Dishwasher, that is maintained by the Fernie Trails Alliance. During testing, access to the trail may be controlled. The public is asked to avoid the area while work is underway, and respect all posted signage. There will be some noise associated with the testing, but we anticipate minimal impact to nearby homes.

In addition to exploring alternative secondary drinking water sources, the City of Fernie and Teck are investigating turbidity treatment and improvements for our primary source, Fairy Creek.

For additional information on Fernie’s Water and Sewage System, please visit City of Fernie | Water