A sheen of oil found on Colquitz River this week likely leaked from underground high-voltage power cables, says B.C. Hydro.

There is a B次元官网网址渉igh likelihoodB次元官网网址� the substance is mineral oil used as insulation around the cables, B.C. Hydro spokesperson Ted Olynyk said on Friday, rather than home heating oil or some other contaminant.

Mineral oil is petroleum based, but Olynyk said it has extremely low toxicity and isnB次元官网网址檛 harmful to fish or other wildlife. The volume that escaped was extremely low, he said, a couple of litres per day.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e talking a few days, dripping once every two or three seconds. It does add up, but its a very small amount,B次元官网网址� he said.

B.C. Hydro crews took over responsibility for cleanup from Saanich public works on Friday and planned to conduct repairs, monitor the creek over the weekend, and see if any soil remediation also needs to take place. B次元官网网址淪aanich has done a fantastic job with containment,B次元官网网址� Olynyk said.

Saanich public works crew found a sheen on the water around noon Wednesday linked to, at the time, an unknown liquid leaking from the roadside bank near Interurban Road and Columbine Way. In what has become an all-to-often sight on the Colquitz, absorbent booms straddled the river and sawdust lined the river bank.

Mike Ippen, SaanichB次元官网网址檚 director of public works said crews are checking the booms daily to ensure the spill is fully contained, and to monitor whether more material is getting into the watershed.

B次元官网网址淗opefully the weatherB次元官网网址檚 going to co-operate for a bit so we donB次元官网网址檛 get high velocities and flows down there,B次元官网网址� he said.

Saanich is especially sensitive about spills into the Colquitz and has stepped up monitoring in the wake of several high-profile disasters over the past 12 months.

On Feb. 23 of this year, an estimated 630 litres of heating oil spilled into the Colquitz. Nearly a year ago, on Nov. 25, 2011, more than 1,000 litres leaked into the river from a home oil tank.

Ippen says the oil spills of last winter have improved the public works departmentB次元官网网址檚 effectiveness in responding to reports of spills on the Colquitz.

B次元官网网址淢ostly what weB次元官网网址檝e done on that watershed is we hunted down some of the culverts that got grown over and cleared (vegetation) away. When we have a report of material in the Colquitz or any of the tributaries we can chase it down faster now, and help isolate where itB次元官网网址檚 coming from,B次元官网网址� Ippen said.

Chris Bos, who volunteers as a steward for the Colquitz, says he gives major kudos to Saanich crews for finding the source when they did.

B次元官网网址淲e think itB次元官网网址檚 been going on for a while. ThereB次元官网网址檚 been an annoying amount of little bits of (material in the water) for a while now,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he fact that it could be getting worse, finding it now is good.B次元官网网址�

As of last week, only 70 coho have swam up the Colquitz, through the fish fence Bos and his fellow stream stewards use to monitor returning salmon during spawning season. Based on significantly higher numbers coming from Goldstream and Craigflower fish counts, there should be more, Bos said.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 a little suspicious whatB次元官网网址檚 going on. It may be because weB次元官网网址檝e got a couple seals in the lower river. ThereB次元官网网址檚 family of otters, too. But if thereB次元官网网址檚 this oil event, that could also be the reason why (the number of coho is low),B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲e are proud of Colquitz and its fishery, but weB次元官网网址檝e had bad experiences with spills. It looks like our crew got onto this one quickly,B次元官网网址� noted Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard last Thursday. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 nothing like weB次元官网网址檝e seen from oil tanks, this is a sheen but its better to err on the side of overkill.B次元官网网址�

Discussion on home heating oil

A town-hall style meeting featuring experts who can speak to the environmental impacts of home heating oil spills will take place tonight (Nov. 14) at the University of Victoria.

The event, put on by the Gorge Tillicum Community Association and the Environmental Law Centre at UVic, will also focus on the legal ramifications of such spills.

The meeting happens from 7 to 9 p.m. in Room 159 of the Fraser Building at UVic.

--with files from Kyle Slavin

editor@saanichnews.com