Town of Leader to pause drawing water from South Saskatchewan River due to fuel spill

The contaminated water is expected to reach Leader on Sunday. (Source: Tourism Saskatchewan)

The Town of Leader announced it will pause drawing water from the South Saskatchewan River due to a fuel spill near Medicine Hat, Alta.

In a social media post on Saturday, the town said the affected water is expected to reach the town’s water intake on Sunday.

The statement said the community reservoir was full, and it did not need to draw water from the river until the contamination had safely passed.

“We are continuing to work closely with the Water Security Agency to monitor the situation and will provide updates as more information becomes available,” the post read.

“The safety of our water supply remains our top priority, and we appreciate the community’s understanding.”

Leader is roughly 153 kilometres northwest of Swift Current and 162 kilometres northeast of Medicine Hat.