Keeping storm water from northwest Blackfalds out of Lacombe Lake won't be as easy as pumping it into the Blindman River.

A feasibility review by Stantec states that alternative drainage plan, which would avoid sending run-off to Lacombe Lake, would cost $12.8 million, most of it for a lift station and five kilometres of pipeline.

Council received the report for information last night and now, the town plans to present Stantec’s findings at Lacombe County council on Aug. 24.

The Blindman River alternative is not a viable option, in the view of the Town of Blackfalds.

Coun. Richard Poole says he hopes that will be enough to convince Lacombe County to approve a land purchase needed to build wetlands for the storm water management plan Blackfalds has sent to Alberta Environment for approval.

The county had deferred its decision on the purchase until Blackfalds could explore an alternative to diverting storm water into Lacombe Lake, a proposal that has faced opposition from residents.

But in addition to the prohibitive cost, the consulting firm states there could be “unintended consequences” of the Blindman River option.

Storm water from 410 hectares in Blackfalds’ northwest naturally flows north into the Battle River watershed. Pumping it into the Blindman River would send it into the Red Deer River watershed.

Poole, who has served on the Red Deer River Watershed Alliance, is skeptical Alberta Environment would approve such a plan.

“There’s a good possibility that would cause a lot more problems down the road,” Poole says. “In a drought time, that could actually impact their area and create a drought situation which Blackfalds definitely would not want to do.”

“10 million dollars would not produce necessarily a positive result.”

Critics of the town’s Northwest Area Master Storm Water Management Plan say storm water carries toxins and contaminants.

Poole says the town’s plan includes a treatment process that would meet or exceed Alberta Environment regulations. That includes a series of wetlands that help purify water.

“Blackfalds is not pouring water into a cement pond and piping it to the lake. That could create difficulty. We’re putting it through the (wetlands) and then we’re testing for it,” he says.