Water usage advisory issued for Rosebud

Water usage advisory issued for Rosebud by Strathmore Standard, September 21, 2006
Residents and businesses of Rosebud were alerted to a water usage advisory on Sept. 14, issued by the Calgary Health Region. The Calgary Health Region has been working with Alberta Environment and Wheatland County to monitor levels of chlorine disinfectant byproducts in the hamlet’s municipal water supply. Reeve Ben Armstrong said on Sept. 15 that the county was notified of the water advisory at approximately 1 p.m. on Sept. 14. Enhanced monitoring has been occurring since the construction of the new reservoir in Rosebud. This monitoring indicates that the hamlet?s water treatment plan is currently unable to maintain low levels of a disinfectant byproduct called bromodichloromethane below new guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality that came into effect Jan. 1. Low levels of disinfectant byproducts are commonly formed during the regular treatment process for drinking water and are a result of chlorine reacting with organic matter in the source water. Exposure to disinfectant byproducts over many years is suspected to increase one’s risk of developing certain types of cancer and exposure to bromodichloromethane levels above the guideline value has been linked to a possible increase in the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women. The accepted level is 16 parts per billion and testing done in Rosebud showed 18 and 20 parts per billion…. Armstrong, Deputy Reeve Shirley Reinhardt, area councillor Glenn Koester and County Manager Jennifer Deak along with county staff members Ron Hillier, Gerry Van Oostwaard, Russell Drummond and John Garvin went to Rosebud to inform the residents of the advisory. They were accompanied by Brock Rush and Larry West of Alberta Environment and Jason Feltham, Environmental Health Advisor, Calgary Health Region. “We’re supplying water to them right now because they’re not suppose to drink or prepare food with this water,” Armstrong said. Wheatland County is installing a NSF certified device for reducing trihalomethanes, as indicated by Calgary Health Region. It is the Brita model FF-100 (the market name is Brita On Tap Faucet Filter). “The Health Region wants ones that have been certified, so they?re getting a supply for us and we?re hoping to have them installed by tonight (Sept. 15) on every household.” Deak said Sept. 18, that according to the public works department, that as of 7 p.m. Friday, all but three houses, where people were not at home, had the filters installed. She added staff worked with Alberta Environment at the plant all day Friday. The incident is still being investigated. Armstrong made it clear that this is not a boil water advisory. “Boiling water will not take this out because it?s not a bacterial, it’s a chemical reaction.” The county will continue to supply water until the filters are in place or the right mix of chemicals work.

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