Four water stations now open, City of St. John's reiterates clear water is fine to drink
Some west end residents told not to drink discoloured water due to manganese levels
The City of St. John's now has four water stations up and running to provide fresh water to those residents who have been warned not to drink the water from their taps.
On Tuesday the city advised people serviced by the Petty Harbour Long Pond water system, which covers a swath of the west end, to not drink tap water if it's discoloured. As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, those people can bring their own containers to fill at the city depot on 25 Blackler Ave. and three other water stations in the city.
According to Mayor Danny Breen, that could affect up 10,000 residents. The city has posted a list of streets serviced by the water system here.
"If the water is clear then it is safe to drink," Breen said.
"When the water is running a dark colour, then you should not be drinking that water."
The clear water is still safe for pets. Any discoloured water should not be ingested.
Manganese is naturally found in drinking water, and Health Canada says acceptable levels are 0.12 milligrams per litre for maximum acceptable concentration.
The water from the Petty Harbour Long Pond water system has had samples range from 0.009 mg/l to a maximum 0.525 mg/l the City of St. John's has confirmed, but Chris Nolan of Environmental Public Health assures residents that the levels reported are only a health concern to infants under one.
"Older children, adults and seniors would not experience health concerns at the reported levels of manganese," Nolan said in a news release.
This city has released answers to the frequently asked questions they have been receiving since the water advisory went out on Tuesday.
Breen said clear water in the west end is safe to drink, and that boiling the water won't affect the manganese levels. The city has advised children under one should have their meals prepared with bottled water or an alternative water source.
More water stations are now available at Jensen Camp Pump Station at 85 Jensen Camp Rd., Kenmount Road Pump Station at 515 Blackmarsh Rd. and Riverhead Wastewater Treatment Plant at 209 Southside Rd. as the city gets a handle on the extent of the problem.
A fix to the problem
Deputy city manager Lynnann Winsor says the city has been in consultation with water experts throughout the country, and the city is looking at ways to clean the distribution main.
"That in itself won't be a quick fix, but it will be a shorter duration than the long-term solution which will be adding additional treatment processes to the Petty Harbour Long Pond water treatment facility," Winsor said.
Public perception
City workers said Wednesday it had been a slow but steady stream of people coming by the water station.
Doyle Wells, who lives on Colville Street, wasn't too phased by the disruption.
"I went in to Canadian Tire, got my containers and got some more water," Wells said.
"Hopefully it won't go on too long. Some days it's good, some days it's not good. I would imagine that they're on it. I don't think it's a main concern.… I'm not going to start complaining yet."
Pipe problem
Manganese is an element that occurs naturally in the environment. Breen said there is always some amount of it in the municipal water system, and that it can build up in city pipes. He said staff currently believe some of that buildup has dislodged, causing the elevated levels.
"Because it's moving and it's not throughout the whole system, we're not sure what the impact is right now. We do know there's certain pockets that have the issue," he said.
A water station will be open at the City Depot at 25 Blackler Avenue beginning at 8am today Wed. Aug.29.<br><br>If you are serviced by Petty Harbour Long Pond AND your water is discoloured, bring your own water containers to fill.<br><br>If your water is clear, there is no issue with it.
—@CityofStJohnsBreen said the city has hired consultants to help figure out the best way to solve the problem, but at this point there is no timeline or cost estimate for a fix.
"In certain areas there's going to be pipes that need to be cleaned, and cleaning a pipe is not as simple as it sounds," he said.
"We're going to do whatever's necessary to ensure our water quality is back to the standard that we have."
Breen added this problem is unrelated to a water advisory about musty-scented water in the city in July.
Health Canada has advised that recent studies have suggested an association between exposure to manganese in drinking water and neurological effects in children.
With files from the St. John's Morning Show