More Saskatchewan towns take precautions in advance of oil slick’s arrival

A moose looks over the North Saskatchewan river near Maidstone, Sask on Friday July 22, 2016. Husky Energy has said between 200,000 and 250,000 litres of crude oil and other material leaked into the river on Thursday from its pipeline. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

MELFORT, Sask. – A precautionary boil-water advisory has been issued for Melfort and other nearby communities in east-central Saskatchewan as a plume of oil that leaked from a Husky Energy pipeline continues down the North Saskatchewan River.

The advisory was to go into effect shortly after midnight this morning in advance of the spill’s arrival, which could come today or possibly Wednesday.

The area normally takes its water from Codette Lake along the North Saskatchewan near the community of Nipawin, but it’s expected that the presence of oil in the river would trigger a shutdown of the intake valve.

Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency says another source unaffected by the spill will be tapped until the river water is deemed safe again.

The cities of North Battleford and Prince Albert, further upstream, have already closed their river water intakes and taken measures to conserve water.

Cleanup efforts have been underway since last Thursday when between 200,000 and 250,000 litres of heavy crude escaped into the river near Maidstone, Sask. (CJVR, CJWW, The Canadian Press)