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By Ashley Legassic

WATER ISSUES

Barriere mayor hopeful water will return to normal within the next week

May 22, 2019 | 2:51 PM

BARRIERE, B.C. — After weeks of inconsistent manganese levels in Barriere drinking water, the district’s mayor is hopeful for a solution.

Ward Stamer says levels haven’t gone up higher in the past several days, but there are still incorrect readings throughout the district.

According to Health Canada regulations, 1.2 milligrams per litre of manganese is acceptable in drinking water.

“Parts of the district we’re getting zero, some readings are one, some readings are higher than that, so we still have a fair amount of fluctuation even though the water is clear,” Stamer says.

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A public notice for the water was originally issued on May 8, which stated although the water was discoloured it was still acceptable for drinking. The issues started when the main deep well on Spruce Crescent was shut down, leading to water being drawn from a newer well in Bradford Park.

The new well has a higher level of manganese than the usual water source.

An updated notice from the district on May 16 stated that due to the new Health Canada regulations, Barriere along with other communities are now over the maximum allowable concentration for manganese.

“Deep Well 2”, also in Bradford Park, is being brought online slowly, according to the district. Stamer says this means good quality drinking water is in the near future.

“With the improvements to Deep Well 2, all the necessary equipment is on site and they are starting to do the work this morning (May 22),” Stamer says. “The feeling is that the well could be operational just in a beginning phase by Friday, we could be doing tests and sending it into Interior Health, possibly getting a test through the weekend down to Vancouver and we could be able to introduce the deep well two water… early next week.”

Stamer adds that when council receives the green light to re-introduce water from Deep Well 2, there will likely be a fluctuation in pressures. That will lead to possible turbidity, so a 48-hour notice to the community will be put in place ahead of that.

“We’re hoping that we’re going to have enough capacity that we can start irrigating again and by doing all that, we’ll be able to flush the majority of the manganese out of the system,” he says. “There’s a pretty good chance we’re going to have some turbidity in the water for, it could be two or three days, we’re not entirely sure, until we can flush out all the lines.”

Stamer thanks the residents for their patience and cooperation.