The Capital Regional District is sampling surface and groundwater near Hartland Landfill after a leak in one of its toxic leachate lines.
The leak occurred on a valve on Willis Point Road near Wallace Drive this month, said the CRD.
The CRD is sampling nearby water but considers it a “minor leak” that doesn’t pose a concern, said spokesman Andy Orr. “We are taking the incident seriously and following a response plan.”
Leachate is the hazardous liquid formed from garbage decomposition, rainwater and groundwater percolating through the landfill’s waste. The CRD pumps it to a holding station.
The leak is near a Willis Point home, and local residents have expressed concern that it could contaminate nearby wells and groundwater sources that homeowners use for drinking water.
