ERRANT FLUORIDE LABEL BLAMED IN GRAVENHURST WATER CRISIS; BOIL WATER ADVISORY IN EFFECT TILL TUESDAY
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
GRAVENHURST — An errant fluoride container label is being blamed in shutting down municipal water service throughout the town here yesterday and alarming the community with an order not to use, drink or even boil water for consumption.
In a release Sunday noon, the District of Muskoka claims an alarm at its Gravenhurst pollution control centre plant sparked a chain of events that caused wide concern in the community after was shut off to taps in home and shutting down businesses including restaurants.
The district also claims “it was confirmed that chemical contamination did not occur,” as suspected by the health unit early Saturday afternoon in its initial release.
And no resident health illnesses were reported the past 24 hours, says the district. And it is safe to bathe and do laundry.
Sunday morning district staff were going around in trucks hand-delivering letters of notice to homes and businesses warning everyone to read them and be aware of the health unit’s ongoing Boil Water Advisory.
As well, free water is available in the parking lot again Sunday at the Canadian Tire at the south end of town, where bottled water was also being provided yesterday.
The district says early Saturday morning, Nov. 27, water department staff responded to a low fluoride monitoring alarm at the water treatment plant on the Beach Road.
Immediate action was taken to confirm if all treatment processes were functioning as they should.
The release says: “On inspection, staff resolved the cause of the alarm, but identified a fluoride container that was not properly labelled.”
Out of abundance of caution and to protect the health and wellbeing of customers, the district shut down the drinking water system to complete additional testing to ensure that no chemical contamination had occurred.
As a result, Saturday afternoon the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) issued a “Do Not Use” order until further testing was completed.
SMDHU ended the Do Not Use order Saturday afternoon and then issued a Boil Water Advisory (BWA) order until bacterial testing is completed.
Bacterial testing is a standard procedure required after a water system is shut down and flushed.
They are required to sample water and submit consecutive tests for a minimum of 48 hour before a Boil Water Advisory can be lifted by the SMDHU.
The required test results are expected by midday on Tuesday.
Till then, the boil water advice remains in effect for only Gravenhurst water customers until health unit notice.
In the meantime, they advise customers boil their water for at least one minute before consumption (drinking, cooking, brushing teeth); or use an alternate potable source of water until the advisory is lifted by the Medical Officer of Health at least midday on Nov. 30.
The district says it continuously monitors all water treatment processes as required through the Safe Drinking Water Act. They say orders and steps taken on Saturday were done to protect our community out of an abundance of caution and ensure compliance with guidelines outlined by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and the health unit.
“We recognize how significant the impact of the BWA and understand our community counts on the District to deliver essential services, including clean, safe drinking water – we are working quickly to bring our systems back to normal.
“As part of our standard response to events of this nature, the district says it will be conducting a complete review of this water emergency.
“We are working closely with the SMDHU and healthcare partners and can confirm we have had no reports of health issues related to this situation. Gravenhurst water customers who have consumed water before boiling should monitor their health and seek medical attention if required. ”
Boil Water Advisory Reminders:
Owners and operators of food premises in Gravenhurst on municipal drinking water system are reminded that while water pressure may be restored, it does not mean that the water is safe for use and shall not be used for food preparation.
Therefore, food premises that utilize water for food preparation are ordered to close, or are required to modify their business to only sell pre-packaged food items until which time the boil water order is lifted.
To prepare your water for residential use, bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute.
Allow it to cool before:
- drinking;
- brushing teeth or rinsing dentures;
- preparing food, wash fruits, vegetables, and other food;
- preparing infant formula;
- making ice, beverages, or other mixes; and
- washing dishes: wash dishes with soap and water, rinse them and then sanitize them in a separate sink with a capful of bleach mixed with a sink full of clear water.
It is safe to shower or have a bath, but do not swallow any water; and it is also safe to do laundry with the water.
As per pandemic protocols, hand hygiene is important for preventing the spread of germs and should continue during a Boil Water Advisory:
use an alcohol-based hand rub (60-90% alcohol) for hands that are not visibly soiled;
- if hands are visibly soiled, clean them with a disposable wet wipe, then follow with an alcohol-based hand rub; or
- if disposable hand wipes are not available, hands should be washed with water and soap, dried, and then followed with an alcohol-based hand rub.
For more information on safe drinking water during a Boil Water Advisory see www.smdhu.org or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Need Help or Support?
For emergency support, or if you require help or assistance accessing bottled water, please contact housingsupport@muskoka.on.ca or 705-645-2412.
EMAIL: news@muskokatoday.com
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