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EVR - Elk Valley Resources

Water quality in the Elk Valley

Water quality challenges in the Elk Valley are connected to the long history of mining in the region. The mining process generates large quantities of leftover rock that contains naturally-occurring substances such as selenium, an element that is essential for human and animal health in small amounts, but which may cause adverse impacts in high enough concentrations. Water from both precipitation and runoff flows through these rock piles and carries selenium and other substances, such as nitrate, into the local watershed.

Developing the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan

In 2013, in consultation with the Government of BC, the Ktunaxa Nation, scientists, and local communities, Teck, as the former operator of EVR, developed the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan, which was approved by the provincial government in 2014. This is a long-term plan with the goal of stabilizing and reversing the trend of selenium, calcite and other constituents and improving the health of the watershed, while at the same time allowing for continued sustainable mining in the region.

Water Quality Open House - recording available

On November 26, 2024, we held an in-person open house to share information on our progress implementing the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan —  including how we are seeing selenium and nitrate reductions downstream of treatment. To view a recording of the opening presentation click here.

Implementing the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan

EVR has made significant progress implementing the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan. Water treatment facilities are operating now that are successfully improving water quality with more facilities planned and under construction.

Our first water treatment facility is successfully treating up to 7.5 million litres of water per day at our Line Creek Operations and we are seeing reductions in selenium and nitrate concentrations downstream.

Our second water treatment facility, the Elkview Saturated Rock Fill, was expanded in 2020 and is now treating up to 20 million litres of water per day.

Our third water treatment facility, the Fording River South Water Treatment Facility, is also operating with capacity to treat up to 20 million litres of water per day.

Our fourth water treatment facility, the Fording River North Saturated Rock Fill, completed commissioning in December 2023 and has capacity to treat up to 30 million litres of water per day.

These facilities are removing between 95% and 99% of selenium from treated water. Selenium and nitrate concentrations have stabilized and are now reducing downstream of treatment. 

Since the creation of the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan, $1.4 billion has been invested towards water quality monitoring, management, research and construction of four treatment facilities to date.

Increasing water treatment capacity

We have constructed four water treatment facilities to date with capacity to treat 77.5 million litres of water per day, a four-fold increase from treatment capacity in 2019. We are constructing six additional water treatment facilities and we expect to further increase our water treatment capacity by 2027 to 150 million litres per day.

Research and development

We have a broad portfolio of approximately 20 projects progressing with a focus on source control and in-situ treatment. These projects are focused on managing constituents more sustainably and to control the release of constituents at the source, reducing or eliminating release into nearby watersheds.  

We are looking to achieve this through a rock bed bioreactor pilot, which will evaluate the ability to remove selenium, nitrate and nickel in a small, flexible version of a Saturated Rock Fill. We are also progressing an in situ reductive zone pilot, which uses a similar process to our saturated rockfill facilities  

We are also focusing on source control initiatives, including the Swift North suboxic zone trial at our Fording River Operations. The aim is to create a low oxygen environment by constructing highly compacted zones that may reduce the amount of selenium and other constituents leaving leftover rock and entering the watershed.

Water quality monitoring

EVR conducts extensive studies and monitoring of water quality and aquatic health, which includes regular water quality sampling at more than 150 water quality locations and over 100 biological monitoring stations in the Elk Valley and within the Koocanusa Reservoir. The purpose of this monitoring is to evaluate water quality and to allow for the early detection of emerging water quality concerns. Monitoring results are used to inform management decisions and support the protection of aquatic and human health.  

Our water quality monitoring shows our treatment facilities are removing between 95% and 99% of selenium from treated water. Selenium and nitrate concentrations have stabilized and are reducing downstream of treatment, and we expect further reductions as additional water treatment facilities come online.  

Find water quality monitoring here. 

    Selenium trend at first compliance location downstream of operations

    This graph shows selenium concentrations over time at our first permitted compliance location downstream of all our operations in the Elk Valley which is in the Elk River at Sparwood, B.C. Measured selenium concentrations, shown by the green dots, are stabilizing and decreasing compared to the permit limit at this location which is shown with the solid green line. The vertical blue lines show timing of the four operational treatment facilities. 

Fish population monitoring

EVR works with external registered professionals to undertake fish population monitoring. The most recent results show a positive fish population trend in the Upper Fording River, located immediately downstream of the Fording River Operation and Greenhills Operation, with the adult population of Westslope Cutthroat Trout estimated to be at the highest levels since monitoring began in 2012. In 2023, the estimated population of Cutthroat Trout in the Upper Fording was estimated at ~8,000 adults and ~16,000 juveniles.

Learn more

We are working with government, Indigenous communities and other stakeholders throughout the region. We remain committed to sharing progress and data with rightsholders and stakeholders. We work with the Province of B.C. to make monitoring and compliance data accessible. View the most recent data and information on the British Columbia Elk Valley Water Quality Hub.