There remain concerns with drainage issues at a nearby intersection, but Stan Denhoed says the likelihood of Puslinch Township wells being affected by a Suncor development in Cambridge is very unlikely.
“Any leak would be slow,” he said of the concerns with shallow ground water. It would likely be “decades” before any contaminants reached Puslinch wells, added Denhoed, the township’s hydrogeological consultant.
A story in last week’s Advertiser stating Suncor, the company that owns PetroCanada, plans to discharge water into wetlands adjacent to Puslinch Lake, was inaccurate.
Denhoed explained the Suncor development, situated on a four hectare property near the intersection of Townline and Pinebush roads just west of the Puslinch boundary, will incorporate its own stormwater management facility located wholly in Cambridge as part of the Hopewell industrial development.
Denhoed said there are always concerns of leaks with underground gas tanks, which are included as part of the plan for a gas station, rest stop, restaurant and commercial space at 2310 Townline Road.
However, given the current standards for the tanks, as well as the distance separating Puslinch homes from the development – the closest is 300 metres away – Denhoed said well contamination is very unlikely.
And the installation of monitoring equipment should provide plenty of notice and time to mitigate any contamination.
Furthermore, when it comes to deeper groundwater, Denhoed said the movement is towards the west, away from Puslinch township, which means if any wells are at risk, it’s likely those belonging to Waterloo Region.
Denhoed noted the run-off system at the intersection of Townline and Pinebush roads is “failing” and remains a concern because the water could eventually make its way to Puslinch Lake. But that system is completely separate from the one proposed by Suncor.
Mayor Dennis Lever said he is nevertheless concerned that Puslinch council was somewhat “surprised” by the development, which is slated for an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing in April, given that the application was reviewed by county planners but never came before township council.
Noting there are no real “technical” aspects of the OMB hearing, Lever said Puslinch needs to get more information and work with the region on the hydrogeological aspects of the application.
