A Port Coquitlam developer has to stop pumping silty water down the storm sewer, says the city of Port Coquitlam.
This week Quantum Properties was told it was supposed to treat water stored in a detention pond at its 2180 Kelly Avenue site before allowing it to flow into the city storm drain.
“We’re going to assume they didn’t realize they were going to make that mistake,” said Siu Tse, Port Coquitlam’s manager of development engineering.
The company will have to get a treatment system on site and present the city with a plan before water can be discharged from the detention pond — used to settle silt from ground water — during ongoing excavation.
Tse said the city has been assured that the plan and treatment system will be in place by Monday.
The problem was identified on Thursday during heavy rains, when a city staffer noted water was being pumped directly into the storm sewer without treatment.
A resident also became concerned about the issue and notified both the Tri-City News and the city.
Allowing untreated water to enter into the storm sewer was a violation of the developer’s soil removal and deposit permit, however, no fines will be issued unless nothing is done to fix the problem.
“Their water is actually quite good. There’s no heavy metals or hydrocarbons, it’s just dirt — it’s turbid water,” Tse said. “We require them to do sampling, their last sample was a month ago, and it actually passed.”
A spokesperson from Quantum told The News Friday he would be looking into the matter.
