Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

Saskatchewan City Under Precautionary Boil-Water Advisory Due To 'Process Error'

The Canadian Press, 13 Aug, 2015 02:03 PM
    NORTH BATTLEFORD, Sask. — Residents of a Saskatchewan city are being told to boil their tap water as a precaution because it might be contaminated.
     
    The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency says the entire city of North Battleford, with a population of about 14,000, is under a precautionary drinking-water advisory.
     
    The advisory says all drinking water — as well as water used for dishwashing, washing fruit and vegetables and brushing teeth — must be brought to a roiling boil for one minute.
     
    "A precautionary drinking-water advisory is if there's a potential for a contaminant or something to happen to the system, not necessarily that it has," water agency spokesman Patrick Boyle said Wednesday.
     
    "An emergency boil-water order means that a contaminant has been confirmed and has entered the system, so in this case with North Battleford, it's just a potential at this point."
     
    Dustin MacDonald, the city's acting communications manager, said partially treated water spilled into treated water at one of North Battleford's treatment plants on Tuesday afternoon. That happened for six minutes before alarms went off and the plant was shut down.
     
    "The partially treated water went through the filter system as well as the ultraviolet disinfection system ... the accepted engineering travel time would indicate that the partially treated water was caught within the water treatment plant, but that needs to be scientifically proven that this water did not reach the water distribution system."
     
    Engineers and city staff were doing tests and analyzing data on Wednesday to determine how far the water got, said MacDonald.
     
    "Safety of our residents and visitors is our main concern, and we are working closely with the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency and the Prairie North Regional Health Authority," the city said in a news release late Wednesday afternoon.
     
    "We encourage people to comply with the precautionary drinking water advisory that was issued. Additional water quality testing is underway. At this point it appears it will take two or three days to ensure safe drinking water through further actions and monitoring."
     
    The city said operational error was the cause.
     
    About 8,000 litres of water goes through the system in six minutes — enough to fill about eight hot tubs, MacDonald said.
     
    More than 7,000 North Battleford residents became sick in 2001 when a parasite called cryptosporidium entered the water supply during routine maintenance of a chemical filter.
     
    Lab tests confirmed 361 cases of illness. No one died.
     
    An inquiry into the outbreak concluded the city systematically failed to recognize its responsibilities for the water supply.
     
    An inquiry report also criticized the province's Environment Department as being an ''inadequate and ineffective'' regulator. The city's water treatment plant had not been inspected by the province for 10 years.
     
    At least 800 people who sued over the outbreak reached out-of-court settlements paid by the city and the Saskatchewan government.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Keystone Pipeline-Maker Braces For Obama Rejection, Already Planning Next Move

    WASHINGTON — The Canadian company involved in the controversy-plagued Keystone XL pipeline project has begun planning its response to an anticipated rejection of the project by U.S. President Barack Obama.

    Keystone Pipeline-Maker Braces For Obama Rejection, Already Planning Next Move

    Federal Leaders Return To Campaign Trail As Duffy Trial Looms Large

    Federal Leaders Return To Campaign Trail As Duffy Trial Looms Large
    OTTAWA — With the shadow of the Mike Duffy trial looming larger than ever, Stephen Harper is kicking off Week 2 of the federal election campaign with a headline-grabbing effort to crack down on homegrown terror threats.

    Federal Leaders Return To Campaign Trail As Duffy Trial Looms Large

    No Winning Ticket For $5-million Jackpot In Saturday's Lotto 6-49 Draw

    No Winning Ticket For $5-million Jackpot In Saturday's Lotto 6-49 Draw
    TORONTO — No winning ticket was sold for the $5-million jackpot in Saturday night's Lotto 6-49 draw.

    No Winning Ticket For $5-million Jackpot In Saturday's Lotto 6-49 Draw

    Marchers Urge Canada To Take Action Against Dominican Republic's Haitian Deportations

    Marchers Urge Canada To Take Action Against Dominican Republic's Haitian Deportations
    MONTREAL — Politicians and activists are hoping to pressure the Canadian government into taking action to help Haitians who they say are facing deportation in the Dominican Republic.

    Marchers Urge Canada To Take Action Against Dominican Republic's Haitian Deportations

    Complaint Filed With RCMP After CBC Reporter Megan Batchelor Kissed By Stranger On Camera

    Complaint Filed With RCMP After CBC Reporter Megan Batchelor Kissed By Stranger On Camera
    CBC reporter Megan Batchelor was covering a music festival in Squamish, B.C., north of Vancouver, when the incident happened

    Complaint Filed With RCMP After CBC Reporter Megan Batchelor Kissed By Stranger On Camera

    Wildfire That Shut Down Highway In Interior B.C. Is Under Control: Officials

    Wildfire That Shut Down Highway In Interior B.C. Is Under Control: Officials
    The B.C. Wildfire Service says the fire west of Keremeos grew to about 1.5 hectares in size.

    Wildfire That Shut Down Highway In Interior B.C. Is Under Control: Officials