A Rimbey family is deeply concerned about the impact on their water supply they believe is being caused by a Calgary-based fracking company.
Butch and Nicole Smith live west of Rimbey, and have been watching as Spartan Delta Corp. utilizes fracking, which is described as a technique used to extract oil and natural gas from rock formations. Potable water is typically used in the process as well.
The Smiths say the operation has had a direct and major impact on not just their water supply, but that of others in the vicinity as well.
"I don't even know where to start," said Nicole. "Personally, they have wreaked havoc on our life here."
According to the Alberta Energy Regular (AER) website, "The most common source of water for hydraulic fracturing operations is non-saline water. Our licensing process for allocating non-saline water under the Water Act ensures minimal environmental effects, and the strain on non-saline water resources is low."
But Nicole said one of the issues is that the company came into the area with no initial notification to the community.
The company purchased land next to the Smiths, and started working on the site last fall.
"The oilfield has always bought access to water from farmers around here - the odd dugout, which you get paid for," Nicole explained. "It was always a very small amount that we would sell to them years ago, here and there," she said.
But the couple noted that the ponds the company have put in are a different story, due to the sheer size of them – and the resulting scope of the operation in general.
"It's concerning for the whole community because we have all started to have issues with our wells," Nicole said, adding she believes the fracking could be dangerous considering how dry the region is.
The Smiths said that first off, they have been asking who approved the company's acquisition of the land for these purposes in the first place. But there doesn't seem to be a clear answer. And again, the problem isn't just limited to their property, she added.
"Just in this general vicinity, there are 30 homes – within a mile from this project," said Nicole. "I feel like we are fighting an uphill battle.
"We are hopeful that something will happen, because it's affecting the community."
She also noted that although local officials do listen and try to assist them, she doesn't always get the feeling they are on the landowners' side.
"I feel like it's not just a 'farmer' problem."
Butch also pointed out that the scope of the project wasn't made clear to landowners from the outset either. "Who in their right mind would pass this?"
In the meantime, the Smiths have organized a community meeting to be held at Leedale Hall on May 23 to discuss the project.
Ponoka Country Reeve Paul McLauchlin and Lana Curle, Rimbey's deputy mayor, will be in attendance. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.
For their part, officials with Spartan say that understanding the issues of the landowners is – and remains – a priority.
"Obviously, water is critical. It's very important that you have to build trust with all of the stakeholders," said Randy Berg, vice president of land and stakeholder relations with Spartan.
"Building trust takes time. The real key for us (in) building trust is to get out in front of the contentious issues, and obviously, the water is at the top of that list."
OJay Platt, Spartan's vice president of production, said that Spartan is a highly-regulated company.
"All of our water use is determined by Alberta Environment. We get temporary diversions, and we have been audited over 39 times to be sure that we are complying with all of the terms of the temporary diversions," he said.
"We try our best to ensure that we give some confidence to the landowners in the area that we are also looking to have water sustainability in the area. Without water sustainability, there are no winners. So we work regularly with the AER and Alberta Environment, collecting data for them."
Platt said the company has put about 20 monitoring devices on local water wells to measure if they are begin affected.
He said the data is then passed on to Alberta Environment, where it is evaluated.
Platt said in this particular area, Alberta Environment determined, according to 2023 data, that there are almost 78 million cubes of ground water available, and 183 million cubes of surface water available.
He also pointed out that in 2023, the amount of water used by the energy industry in this industry basin (for surface water) was 2.5 per cent and for ground water it was 0.8 per cent.
"The government views water as a resource for the people – for communities, for environment, for recreation, social benefits, and for industry to create economic opportunities," he said.
"Everyone is probably going to have a different opinion on what the water should be used for, but I think everyone has a right to the water, and I think everyone is on the same page that, as a resource, we want to use it responsibly and sustainably."
Ultimately, Nicole said she and her family are not against the oil and gas industry.
"I think that we need to take resources out of the ground to compete in the world," said Nicole, adding that there are alternative means to using fresh water.
But the couple say they feel helpless as they see the project continuing, and they are concerned about its future impact in the area.
"As a landowner, I feel like I have no rights. I feel like they are bullying me," said Nicole.
"Water is pretty important. And I don't know how to fight this
"It's pretty frustrating, and we feel pretty helpless. It feels all-consuming."
