CALEB NICKERSON
CAMPBELL’S BAY May 19, 2020
On Tuesday, the municipality of Campbell’s Bay issued a non-consumption and purge notice for the town’s water, after a potential contamination occurred.
Mayor Maurice Beauregard explained in an interview on May 21 that the town’s water technician had opened a sealed jug of chlorine and was adding it to the system when she stopped, due to an odd smell. Beauregard applauded the town’s technician, Jessica Nilsson, for her quick actions.
“Do I believe we’ve gone farther than we had to? Yes, but better to be safe than sorry,” he said.
The town put out a question and answer on their social media on May 21, which explained that the chlorine is used as a pre-treatment, along with a green sand filter, to remove manganese and iron from the water supply. It is also used as a post-treatment in the reservoir to remove impurities that may be present in the water lines.
The municipality advised residents not to consume the water, and to avoid swimming in pools that had been filled on May 18 and 19, until a chemical test had come back from the lab.
They are workeing closely with the Ministry of Environment, as well as their chemical supplier to sort out the issue.
As of Monday, the tests had yet to come back, as some of the original samples had been damaged on the way to the Ministry of Environment’s lab in Quebec City.
Beauregard had to deliver more himself.
“Saturday morning I drove to Quebec City and back to drop them off more samples,” he said. “It was a long day.”
In the mean time, Beauregard, as well as municipal employees, councillors and members of the local fire department delivered potable water door to door to ensure that residents stuck at home were taken care of.
On Sunday, the municipality put out a press release announcing that the non-consumption notice had been downgraded to a boil advisory, which will be in place until samples are properly tested.
