'Shock treatment,' tests needed for wells contaminated by floodwater
More than 800 samples sent to health department in early May, almost 1 in 10 deemed unsafe
Ottawa Public Health has received an unprecedented number of water samples from residents to test wells affected by the devastating floods earlier this month.
The testing is meant to guide homeowners whose wells were swamped with floodwater carrying biological waste and other contaminants as they try to ensure their water is safe to drink again.
From May 8 to 16, Ottawa Public Health tested 808 well water samples — 80 per cent of which came from homes in flooded areas such as Cumberland and Constance Bay.
In May of last year, OPH tested 590 samples.
The process of cleaning up the water can be long and frustrating.
Health officials are looking for coliform bacteria and E. Coli. Those bacteria can be found in soil, vegetation and animal waste transported by floodwater. While E. Coli is found in the digestive system of humans and animals, exposure can be dangerous to people.
The city's health department says nine per cent of the water samples they've tested have come back with adverse results — meaning the water is unsafe to use for drinking, cooking or bathing due to bacteria.
'You take water for granted'
Dan Mayson's well water was contaminated by floodwater. He said health officials told him the bacteria levels were "off the chart."
While he managed to keep the first floor of his house dry with a perimeter of 600 sandbags, almost a metre of water from the Ottawa River covered his front lawn and well in Constance Bay.
"It really didn't click in until people's septics starting washing out and you could tell by the change of the colour of ground water on top the front lawn," he said.
The water was dark and foul-smelling, according to Mayson. Now he, his wife Sarah and their two-year-old son are getting by with water bottles the city has been distributing in flood areas for free.
"You take water for granted. We're using bottled water to cook with, wash, even you brush your teeth pouring a bottle of water over your tooth brush" said Mayson.
They're showering at his in-laws home nearby.
'Shock treatment' recommended
Mayson sent another sample from his tap,which is now clear and odourless, about a week ago. But, he said, a health official told him the water was off-colour, smelled bad, and it wouldn't be tested.
"I was kind of frustrated that they wouldn't at least test it so I can have just a barometer to go by," he said.
Mayson is planning to follow OPH's recommendation to give his well a "shock treatment" of chlorination.
Ottawa Public Health recommends anyone with a dug, drilled or sand point system in the flood-affected area should get their system tested. Tests are offered free of charge.
If the well fails the test twice, homeowners are advised to use a diluted bleach solution to disinfect, according to environmental health program manager Dominique Bremner.
"It's essentially pouring a diluted solution of bleach through your system. Part of that is disinfecting, but also flushing it out before you sample [for re-testing]," she said.
"So just running your taps until you don't smell that chlorine smell anymore."
Bremner recommends homeowners test the water a week to 10 days after they've been cleared to drink it as an additional precaution. If it's still contaminated, health officials recommend calling a certified well water technician.
