Concerns about water quality in Spallumcheen are boiling over again.

Some residents claim a manure lagoon breached at a dairy farm on Salmon River Road Feb. 16, but the owner of the operation denies that.

鈥淭he snow on top may have been too high but that鈥檚 just a guess. It鈥檚 a lined lagoon and it鈥檚 in good shape,鈥� said the owner of Grace-Mar Farms, who didn鈥檛 provide his name.

The owner insists he鈥檚 on top of the situation, and wouldn鈥檛 comment on possible impact on water quality, except to say the ground is frozen and there鈥檚 been no leaching.

鈥淲e are absorbing everything and we鈥檙e not letting any runoff to occur.鈥�

Residents are questioning the integrity of their water source.

鈥淥ur concerns are multilayered and will come forward as we continue our research,鈥� said Wayne Christian, Splatsin chief.

Residents visited the site as soon as they became aware of the situation.

鈥淥ne honey wagon was collecting effluent from the breach and hauling it around to the other side of the lagoon and dumping it out so the other honey wagon could pump it up into its tank and then spread it out on top of the snow,鈥� said Shelley Baumbrough, a farmer in the area.

Conservation officers have also been present to monitor the breach.

鈥淭he conservation officer has promised me that an assessment will be done to determine how many and which wells nearly need to be tested,鈥� said Baumbrough.

Members of the Save Hullcar Aquifer Team are accusing the Ministry of Environment of knowing about an incident at the farm for two days before residents became aware of the issue.

鈥淭hat us unconscionable, and shows the level of disdain for the people of Spallumcheen, including the Splatsin,鈥� said Al Price, with SHAT.

Price also questions if the ministry had ensured the lagoon met standards.

鈥淎ll of the people of the Hullcar Valley and Steele Springs are paying the price,鈥� he said.

鈥淲hat happened Thursday, and the way the ministry responded since then, is unacceptable. They have shown their complete disregard for the health of the people of the Hullcar Valley and Steele Springs, or the environment of the valley.鈥�

The situation on Salmon River Road comes at the same time that residents remain concerned about the possible impact of another dairy operation on the Hullcar aquifer.

鈥淭he latest test of Steele Springs water came in at 14.4 parts per million. That is the highest it has ever been. So no matter what the government claims to be doing to make sure we have safe drinking water, they have failed miserably,鈥� said Price.

The Ministry of Environment could be reached for comment.