Boiling water in Rivers a long-term advisory

Details

Published on Wednesday, April 22, 2015

By Todd Gill

Mayor of Rivers

As publicly notified, the community of Rivers has been issued a Boiled Water Advisory, effective April 20. The advisory was issued by the Medical Officer of Health, due to the belief that a failure in the treatment process has allowed substandard water to enter the distribution system. The failure in our treatment system that has triggered this course of action is once again, high levels of turbidity.

Due to the fact that we source our water from Lake Wahtopanah, turbidity is always an issue. With the annual turning of the lake, we usually encounter higher levels of turbidity in the spring, but in the past two years we have seen changes in water qualities and significant changes in how the treatment process handles these water qualities. The advisory will remain in effect until such a time that our treated water meets the provincial Microbial Water Quality Standards.

These standards became legislation in 2007. Many water treatment systems throughout the province, such as ours, were not designed for and were not capable of treating water to meet these requirements. As I understand, these facilities were grandfathered in the act for a period of five years through to 2012. I am of the understanding that provided these plants were operating consistently with good quality water and the communities were taking action to upgrade their respective facilities, they would continue to operate. Our facility has failed with high turbidity levels on too many occasions with levels too high to allow for any further flexibility. Our order today, is to meet the provincial standards legislated in 2007; our present advisory will remain in effect until our new water treatment facility is operational.

For the past several years the Town of Rivers has been working towards a new water treatment facility. There are many steps that must be taken before reaching the final design and ultimately, the ground breaking ceremony and the first drink. Today we are almost there; the final proposal has been accepted, the final design is being completed and tenders will be called for very soon. Our project will be funded equally between Riverdale Municipality and Manitoba Water Services Board. In order to raise the funds to finance this project and the future waste water treatment facility, we have recently concluded a water and sewer rate study. (You will find the proposed rate increases in the adjacent ad.) Increases are substantial to say the least, but, they are typical of other communities that have been burdened by these major infrastructure upgrades. 

On May 28 Riverdale Municipality will hold a public hearing to disclose and to hear the public in regards to the financial borrowings for this new water treatment facility and the means of servicing the debt associated with it. In addition, details of the financial borrowings should be mailed to every utility account holder within the next few days. It is critical to the community of Rivers and Riverdale Municipality that people understand and support the new utility rate proposal as advertised by The Public Utilities Board, and that they understand and support the financial borrowings to construct a new water treatment facility.

Today we know that within the next 12 months we can be back to enjoying good quality water in our homes. Without the support of the community in regards to the proposed rates for sewer and water, and without the support of the community for the financing of the project, we will remain under a boiled water advisory for an indefinite period of time.