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Lack of water supply an issue for central Alberta cannabis production plant

Further information needed before council will look at development approval for Micro Grow
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Black Press file

The process of gathering more information on a cannabis production operation in Ponoka County will continue.

On Mar. 20, Ponoka County council had requested administration look into how the proposed operation, located on county owned land on the west side of Highway 2A across from Maskwacis, would deal with waste and other issues such as water and sewer.

As a follow up, assistant CAO Tom Webber appeared at the April 9 meeting with an update, but left with yet another request for more details about the proposal.

Webber noted the owner of Micro Grow did come back with letters from the gas and electrical utility providers that stated there is more than enough capacity to supply the facility.

However, he explained the big issue remains the lack of a water supply.

“There is no water on site and the Samson (First Nation) band will not allow them to tie into their water system,” he told council.

“Furthermore though, the owner states that water is too hard and not conducive to be used in cannabis production.”

The long since demolished restaurant that was on that site had been fed by that system.

The county does operate a small system serving some homes and businesses in the area, but Webber stated it wouldn’t be expanded to that property and wouldn’t be adequate to service the needs of the operation anyway.

As a work-around, Webber added the owner is proposing to truck in water to a storage tank on site that will be used to water the plants. Any waste would be pumped into a septic tank.

Coun. Doug Weir questioned if the denial by the Samson First Nation was a rebuke of the proposal, but CAO Charlie Cutforth explained that is how it has been historically.

“We have attempted in the past to get a franchise agreement with them because we have a number of lots and businesses out there as all we have out there is one well that is not a good system,” he said.

“And nothing has changed since.”

For Reeve Paul McLauchlin, the issues are just how much water would be needed annually and what would be available for use in case of a fire, something Coun. Bryce Liddle was also curious about.

Webber explained that the fire department in Maskwacis would likely be the initial response, as the county does have a mutual aid agreement with them, but that the county is ultimately responsible for that area.

Despite the lack of water, Webber believes the real question is the longevity of the business.

“If it only lasts a couple of years, then all of a sudden there is a 5,000 square foot warehouse that would be virtually useless with no water,” Webber said.

In the end, council directed administration to go back and find out what the business has planned for water use, sewer and fire protection capacity.