Catalina's cloudy and dark water irritates residents

Residents in Catalina say their town's water quality is now at an all-time low, and the local deputy mayor says it's a result of deteriorating infrastructure.

"Our water has been bad this way for years. This is the worst I've ever seen it," said Tracey Anstey, a long-time resident of the Trinity Bay North community.

The tap water is cloudy and dark coloured, and frequently contains mud and debris. Anstey said her family can't use it for cooking or cleaning and has to buy bottled water in order to function.

"We have to buy water to drink, to cook with. We have dogs — I wouldn't give it to them to drink," she said.

"You take seniors and people on low incomes, the water can get costly after a while."

Anstey said she's not alone; everyone in the community is in the same situation.

"Everyone is just disgusted and it seems like council is so passive about it," she said.

Problems with the pumps

Since June 1, the provincial government has issued 33 boil advisories for more than 25 communities.

Anstey said that the town has a high incidence of bowel cancer and gastrointestinal disorders, and is concerned that the poor-quality drinking water might play a factor.

As well, Anstey said many residents are concerned by the town council's relaxed attitude towards the situation.

Catalina is one of four communities that form the Town of Trinity Bay North, along with Little Catalina, Melrose and Port Union.

In an interview with CBC's Central Morning Show, Trinity North's Deputy Mayor Thomas Cooper said the water problems are nothing new for the area.

"There are times of the year when it does get murky like that, and it's something that the town has been dealing with some time," he said.

"The system is getting old, and more and more very year we're getting breaks in the lines."

He said the recent discoloration issues are a result of the town recently shutting down the pump house and then turning it back on, which stirs up sediment.

As a result, a boil order has been in place since Tuesday. Cooper recommends people avoid drinking the water if it's brown.

He said even when the town's system is up and running again, it could take a few days to flush contaminated water out of all the lines.

Cooper suggests people run the water outside of their home for a while to prevent their sinks and tubs from becoming stained and their tap filters from being plugged with dirt.

"What I would advise is for residents who are experience this to run their water," he said.

"I usually run my garden hose outside rather than have it running through the pipes in the house."