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Teck releases water treatment update for Elk River catchments

The company is adding capacity to its selenium and nitrate filtering infrastructure
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The Elkview SRF filters water underground in a back filled pit at Teck’s Elkview Operations. Pictured: Dean Runzer of Teck looking at the monitoring hardware that allows company workers to ensure the facility is working as designed as water filters through the rock fill, 150 metres below ground. (Scott Tibballs / The Free Press)

Teck has released an update on its Elk Valley Water Quality Plan (EVWQP), which details company efforts to remove selenium and nitrate from the waters of the Elk Valley.

The company is expected to provide updates on any changes to implementation of the EVWQP, triggered by additional research, construction and monitoring.

According to the update the company’s three fully operational water treatment facilities are achieving approximately 95 percent removal of selenium and nitrate from treated water, with a current capacity of 47.5 million litres per day across the facilities.

The Fording River South facility is currently completing it’s commissioning process, but has been treating water since December 2021.

Besides the three currently operational facilities, according to the update the company has another eight facilities and phases to add capacity between now and the end of 2027 which would put treatment capacity at 142 million litres per day.

Beyond 2027, the company has another eight facilities on top of that to increase capacity further to over 200 million litres per day, with most expected to come online before 2042.

The full update can be read on the Teck website here.

READ MORE: Teck spends up big to filter the Elk Valley’s water



scott.tibballs@thefreepress.ca
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