Tod Creek watershed: Water quality report for the 2023/24 wet season

Executive summary

Water is essential for life, and steps are needed to understand, protect and restore its health in fish habitat throughout British Columbia. The Raincoast Healthy Waters program was launched in 2023 to establish community-oriented water pollution monitoring in select BC watersheds. Two Healthy Waters sampling events take place every year in each watershed: the dry season (summer), and the wet season (winter). This report highlights results from one sampling event: the first wet (winter) season sampling, carried out with the support and participation of the Capital Regional District (CRD) and Tsartlip First Nation. Briefly, the Healthy Waters team sampled the Tod Creek watershed on December 13, 2023. The team worked with CRD, Tsartlip First Nation and community volunteers to first determine basic water properties (temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity) in situ. Water samples were collected from six water categories, including source water (3 samples), stream and river water (3 samples), road runoff (3 samples), tap water (10 samples – 9 from the Sooke supply and 1 from groundwater were pooled into a single composite sample) and  marine water (3 samples), alongside surface water samples collected in the areas surrounding the Hartland landfill (3 samples). Samples were then pooled into a single composite sample for each of the six water categories and analysed for coliform, metals, nutrients, physical parameters, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), alkylphenol ethoxylates, bisphenols, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sucralose and 6-PPD Quinone. This initial sampling with a limited number of samples suggests that, overall, Tod Creek water quality was relatively good. Additional sampling and analysis planned will provide additional insight into any sources or activities that may be impacting the health of this valued watershed. 

Tod Creek watershed

Key findings

• This preliminary assessment of water quality in Tod Creek reflects the first of several site visits; our understanding of water quality in the Tod Creek watershed will grow with additional sampling over the coming two years (2024-26).
• Our study design was not designed to explicitly address the performance of Hartland Landfill, but rather to provide an integrated ‘snapshot’ of water quality in six categories of water in the Tod Creek watershed, including source, stream & river, road runoff, tap, marine and Hartland drainage.
• The Hartland drainage water sample had the highest wet season concentrations of nutrients, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and 6PPD-quinone among water categories analysed. Some of these may be attributed to quarry activities and aggregate storage, with CRD working to address concerns that had been previously noted. Additional influences from vehicular and machine operations in the landfill may contribute to some of the water quality issues noted here, with further sampling helping to confirm and build on observations. 
• Stream and river water had the highest concentration of coliform bacteria and pesticides; further sampling and analysis may provide insight into the extent to which local agriculture and septic systems may be impacting water quality in Tod Creek.
• Alongside marine water, the stream and river sample had the highest concentration of metals and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs); some of the metals are from natural sources. In addition, historical cement factory operations, vessel discharges in Tod Inlet, and land-based septic systems likely explain some of these observations.
• The pooled tap water sample had the highest concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) but were within safe limits established by Health Canada; alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) were also detected but were at levels considered safe.
• Source water, and road runoff water were less contaminated than the other water categories in the wet season.
• Overall, the Tod Creek watershed had relatively good water quality in the wet season:
  • There were 8 exceedances of Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines for the protection of aquatic life (the Hartland water sample exceeded both the CCME and BC long-term guidelines for nitrate concentration, five out of six water samples (all except the tap sample) exceeded the CCME Long Term Guideline for the protection of aquatic life of 0.1 mg/L, and the Hartland water sample exceeded the BC WQG of 100 pg/L for Total PCBs).
  • There were 0 exceedances of Health Canada Drinking Water Quality Guidelines.

Background

Raincoast’s Healthy Waters Program (https://www.raincoast.org/waters/) delivers high-resolution, community-oriented water quality analysis to watersheds across southern British Columbia. The goal of Healthy Waters is to empower communities with the understanding of the status of water quality in their watersheds, to allow for local advocacy regarding both point and nonpoint source pollution. 

The Capital Regional District (CRD) serves approximately 440,000 people from 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.  The traditional territories of many First Nations span portions of the region and 11 of those Nations hold reserve lands throughout the capital region.  

Community and Indigenous concerns expressed about possible threats to water quality in Tod Creek sparked interest in this project, but Tod Creek is at the receiving end of numerous activities and potential contaminant sources. Of note is that local agriculture, the Heals Rifle Range as a federal contaminated site, domestic septic fields, the Hartland Landfill operation, and other sectors also are likely to influence water quality in Tod Creek. Findings from this and future sampling events will provide insight into the potential for each of these sectors to explain any degradation of water quality – an important element of protection and restoration.

Tsartlip First Nation is one of two current members of the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council (WLC); the second is Tseycum First Nation. The Tsartlip reserve is situated in Brentwood Bay, BC.  The WLC was formed to create a unified entity responsible for representing the common interests of the W̱SÁNEĆ Nations. The W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples have been responsible for stewardship of the land since time immemorial.

A watershed based approach to sampling

We collect samples from five different categories of water in each of our partner watersheds: from source water, upstream of human impacts, down to the marine environment. 

Source water serves as an upstream reference sample, allowing us to determine which contaminants are being introduced as water traces its path down through the watershed. 

Stream and river samples allow us to investigate the quality of fish habitat directly, by collecting samples from streams, creeks, and rivers used by salmon and other fish species (either currently or historically). 

Road runoff serves as an impacted sample category of current concern, as many contaminants, including  PAHs, metals, surfactants and chemicals such as 6-PPD quinone can be washed off roadways and into fish habitat during rain events. 

We include tap water samples in our analysis as a way to bring our homes into the conversation – we borrow water from the environment in the form of municipal or well water, and generally return it to aquatic habitats in a more-degraded state in the form of storm and sewage effluent (treated or untreated).

Marine water samples provide insight into those contaminants that may degrade fish and whale habitat in the ocean, and enable an understanding of the contribution of land-based pollutants from the adjacent watershed to the marine environment.

Collectively, the lessons learned from our partnering watersheds will contribute to a greater understanding of threats to water quality across British Columbia, and ultimately what policy changes can be implemented to preserve the quality of water for the future of salmon, whales, and people.

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