Remember when as a youngster you could go for a walk in the back country and if you felt thirsty, you could find a stream and sip the cool, clear freshness of the water.
That’s not that many years ago.
However, today there are not many communities whose residents are satisfied with the quality of drinking water running through their taps. Showers have become more popular because a wash in the bath tub is almost too unthinkable, with the amount of dirt or discoloration ending up on the bottom of the tub.
How can you sit in that?
It may not be accurate, but the general feeling is you come out dirtier than when you jumped in!
The Towns of Grand Bank and Fortune, two major communities on the Burin Peninsula, were forced last month to impose boil orders on their water supplies. Grand Bank now receives its water from the Fortune source.
Both were faced with low levels of chlorine in their systems, and Department of Health officials felt the orders were necessary to contain bacteria.
The majority of communities in rural Newfoundland and Labrador have been forced to impose boil order notices on their residents because of unsatisfactory water supplies.
Even a town the size of Marystown has still been not able to overcome its water problems, and this after spending some $12 million in the past couple of years for a water treatment plant and specialized water treatment procedure, which has yet to go on stream.
Marystown’s problems have ranged from extensive water line breaks, water turning clothing and shower/bathtubs green to a foul smelling odor during different times of the year.
The Town of St. Lawrence has had to incorporate a purification water site in its community for residents to obtain satisfactory drinking water.
This has become a costly venture for both municipalities and the provincial government to overcome. The federal government has also recognized the problem, and has tried to develop and fund programs for municipalities.
Councils will argue with heavy rain falls and run offs there’s going to be a silk (dirt) build up with ponds/lakes reservoir systems stirred up, and needing several days to settle down.
That’s find. But water boilers and toilets don’t settle down or clean themselves, in the majority of cases, and that means frustrated residents are left to ‘make do’ again.
These are not ‘rarely’ occurring problems, but almost daily for residents.
When a town/community council installs a water line in front of your property and charges you water taxes, whether you access that system or not (the Municipal Act permits this), then the least users should expect is a drinkable water source at all times. Also, they should be secure in knowing when they wash their clothes the articles will not be ruined.
You should not only expect, but also demand, the services – whether municipal, provincial or federal – that you’re being forced to pay for!
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