Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
A boil water advisory has been issued for those on the Chatham-Kent Municipal Water Distribution Systems for Wheatley and Tilbury following a fire at a water treatment plant on Wednesday. "It has been found that the site has undergone significant damage and as a result the Wheatley Water Treatment Plant is not operational at this time," the municipality said in a media release Wednesday night.
This is a reminder to Rural Water Districts 8 & 9 that a boil water advisory exists for the properties highlighted below. If you received a letter from the Town of Osoyoos in April 2023, it is still in effect. Any changes to this status will be communicated by letter to users when it is lifted. The agricultural irrigation district receives its water supply directly from the lake with limited treatment during this time. This advisory is to mitigate the risk of potential bacteria. Any questions can be directed to Operational Services at (250) 495.6213.
Frigid weather that has played havoc with seasonal travel plans in many other parts of Canada is now causing problems in Yukon. A portion of a wastewater treatment facility in the Village of Carmacks, about 200 kilometres north of Whitehorse, has failed as extreme cold warnings remain in place for much of the territory. A boil water advisory has been issued for residents of the village and Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation who use private wells.
Houston schools were closed and some elective surgeries delayed on Monday after a city water treatment plant temporarily lost power and residents were urged to boil water through at least Tuesday. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he expects to hear from the state environmental agency by late Monday or early Tuesday morning on if the boil water notice can be rescinded.
The City of Vaudreuil-Dorion has issued an extensive boil water advisory early Monday after a major water main break. The water main break in the area, located off the western tip of the Island of Montreal, has since been contained. Earlier in the day, residents had to limit their consumption of drinking water to “ensure a minimum supply for essential needs.”
British Columbia's Ministry of Health is warning residents in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley of possible water contamination connected to the recent flooding in the province. Record-setting precipitation fell between Nov. 14 and Dec. 2 in southwestern B.C., causing severe flooding that destroyed homes and farms, and caused landslides that killed several people. Officials say heavy rain may have caused overflow or failure of liquid manure storage systems in the region. The province says it is working with farm operators to reduce the risks of possible overflow.
The boil water notice in effect that was posted Sept. 20 has been downgraded to a boil water advisory, the City of Prince Rupert announced on Oct. 18. According to the Water Quality and Health Council, a boil water advisory is a public statement issued by a utility no later than 24 hours after learning of a microbial water quality violation, such as excess levels of indicator organisms. “It is important to emphasize that an advisory does not necessarily mean that the tap water is contaminated. Rather, it means that the water could be contaminated, and that the public should take precautionary measures, especially the elderly, very young, or those with a weak immune system. In contrast, a boil water notice is issued when contamination in a water system is confirmed. Advisories and notices remain in effect until publicly lifted by the utility (typically for at least 24 hours), and following water quality test results that demonstrate the tap water is safe to drink or use,” the organization said on its website.
