Northern Health seeks to explore costs towards four solutions for water issues at local facilities

Northern Health is looking for solutions to some
long standing water issues at both Prince Rupert
Regional Hospital and Acropolis Manor

" The municipal water quality provided in Prince Rupert has known issues in Prince Rupert and although it is generally considered potable (safe for human consumption) it has low PH and high turbidity. Currently Prince Rupert Regional Hospital (PRR) and Acropolis Manor (ACM) are on a local boil water advisory based on the recommendation of environmental health due to the Prince Rupert source water and treatment process that could result in undetected incidents of water borne pathogens in the municipal water supply." -- From Northern health's Project Summary in September for solutions for local health facilities in the city

With an opening line that pretty well outlines the current status of Prince Rupert water issues, Northern Health appears ready to spend some money to at least provide some remediation to their own internal water issues at two local facilities, Prince Rupert Regional Hospital and Acropolis manor.

The topic of the water at the Northern Health facilities has made for much discussion in recent years, with themes related to it occasionally spilling into social media accounts from those who are patients or visiting the services of the two facilities.

A Request for Proposals posted on the Bid BC website in late September, outlines the challenge ahead for successful bid applicants, as Northern Health outlines what it is they are dealing with and how they hope to provide for some relief from the long running concerns.

Due to the initial concerns of the water quality within PRR and ACM a comprehensive water quality study was undertaken that resulted in a recommendation that the best alternative to municipality wide treatment is a NH owned and operated source water treatment system for PRR and ACM. The high level solution analysis of the water quality study recommends separate treatment systems for PRR and ACM. 

Based on the study recommendations and on the assumption that improved municipal water treatment is at best 5+ years away separate water treatment projects (for PRR and ACM) have been put on the capital projects list based on the high level budgets provided in the study. 

The initial recommendation estimated peak demand from monthly consumption and recommended two systems in part due to the two buildings domestic water being provided by two separate services. Northern Health Authority (NHA) recognizes that a single system treating both PRR and ACM may be a more cost effective solution once there is a more detailed design (including spatial requirements and location considerations) and financial analysis incorporating life cycle and operating costs is complete. 

In addition to the general water quality, issues of low PH and high turbidity the municipality has enacted boil water advisories (BWA) due to potential of Giardia and/or Cryptosporidium in the past. Currently there is no BWA due to Giardia and/or Cryptosporidium in effect; however, NHA Environmental health department has recommended that both sites (PRR and ACM) maintain the practice of boiling municipality supplied water prior to consumption and/or use-bottled water for consumption. Therefore, NHA is also considering including treatment/processing to ensure municipality supplied water is potable during a Giardia and/or Cryptosporidium caused Boil Water Advisory.

Towards what Northern Health is looking to receive from those who respond to their RFP,  a four item checklist provides for the four solution options, with the health authority looking for equipment recommendations, plant layouts, capital cost estimates and operating cost estimates for a 25 year life cycle.

1) Separate Treatment Plants in PRR and ACM to manage the water quality issues (Low PH and Turbidity) only. 

2) Single Treatment Plant in PRR with supply lines to ACM to manage the water quality issues (Low PH and Turbidity) only. 

3) Separate Treatment Plants in PRR and ACM to manage the water quality issues (Low PH and Turbidity) and to ensure water is potable during a Giardia and/or Cryptosporidium caused Boil Water Advisory. 

4) Single Treatment Plant in PRR with supply lines to ACM to manage the water quality issues (Low PH and Turbidity) only and to ensure water is potable during a Giardia and/or Cryptosporidium caused Boil Water Advisory.

The original deadline for submissions of October 8th, had been extended, it is now set to come to an end today at 2 PM.

You can review more of the Northern Health RFP from the BC Bid website.

The proposed solutions to the localized water issues in the Northern Health Facilities and Northern Health's plans to provide for their own alternative measures away from the municipal supply,  comes as water issues continue to make for much discussion in the community. 

That after the most recent public water advisories that were put in place in August and from the larger Water issues of 2018-19.

The topic of Prince Rupert's Water also became a campaign theme for the current provincial election, with North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice providing a glimpse into the volume of funding that the BC government has delivered to the City of Prince Rupert, while candidate Jody Craven provided his own observations on the current state of the city's drinking water.

Mayor Brain also touched on the water issues briefly during his community update as part of last weeks City Council Session, making note of the progress to date on water issues, as well as what work remains.

For more notes related to Northern Health see our archive page here, notes on the city's ongoing quest to improve it's water supply concerns can be reviewed from our archive page here.