City of Lacombe is installed a fence around a polluted drainage channel that was sickening dogs using a nearby off-leash park.
A local resident raised the alarm, telling the city that dogs that went into the stormwater-filled swale next to Fish and Fetch Off-Leash Dog Park were getting sick, often vomiting or suffering from diarrhea.
The city called in water testing experts, who found elevated levels of sulfate, sodium and total dissolved solids – all of which can cause "gastrointestinal distress" in dogs. High levels of water hardness – typically caused by high concentrations of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium – and other minerals were detected indicating runoff contamination.
Harmful metals and microcystins, a toxin associated with algal blooms that often lead to health warnings at local lakes during summer heatwaves, were not detected, nor where harmful metals
City operations director Doug Halldorson recommended the city up a permanent fence around the swale next to the dog park near 34th Street and 53rd Avenue in an industrial area east of Highway 2A. It would cost about $15,000.
Mayor Grant Creasey asked for clarity on what the results meant so that residents were not alarmed.
"This isn't a toxic waste dump. This is merely surface water runoff, primarily from road salts and solids is it not?"
Halldorson said that was the case. "It's just naturally occurring runoff."
Coun. Cora Hoekstra questioned whether there were implications for other city water bodies linked to the stormwater system.
"If this just sort of regular runoff what is going to prevent us now having to fence off every body of water in our community?
"I guess I'm just curious about that. Why wouldn't we fence everything?"
Hoekstra also questioned whether a fence would detract from the beauty of the park.
"Is this truly a desire of all pet owners or just the few that we heard from?"
Creasey said there is an expectation of relative safety and security from those who brought the issue forward.
"The pets are off leash, where they are not in other parts of the city, or they shouldn't be at least."
Council unanimously approved the motion to take $15,000 out of reserves for a fence. It will likely be in place later this year.
