Latest water advisory serves up a reminder of the challenges that the ongoing water issues bring for some in Prince Rupert

With another Water Advisory in place once again, for some
bottled water or boiled water is taking the place of the 
straight from the tap version of Prince Rupert water

For those that may have missed it, residents of Prince Rupert are currently under a Water Advisory, with turbidity issues once again making for a concerning situation that had both the City of Prince Rupert and Northern Health reprising their past advice mid Saturday afternoon for the elderly, pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems.

The latest advisory comes following a late summer and early fall of similar advisories stretching back to August those following the heavy rains of the summer that began this latest domino like stream of water notices.

Mayor Brain took to his Social Media page on Saturday to apprise the community of the situation on Saturday, calling the most recent notice another "low level Water Quality Advisory"'  using his Facebook portal for some background on the current water situation, as well as to review the City's water plans heading towards the future, with the hoped for day of destiny sometime in late 2023 when a new water filtration plant will come on line.

The Mayor's notes for the future are indeed a positive and hopeful sign that one day the water woes will be behind us and the days of Boiling numerous pots of water, or stocking up on pack after pack of bottled water will be a thing of the past.

However, even Northern Health seems resigned to the idea that for the short term they will have to take their own proactive actions for their water needs, that decision taking the form of a call for bids for the Hospital water concerns, even as the city's water plans continue to move forward and the hoped for days of water advisories becoming a thing of the past.

" 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. ... 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". -- Some of the key points for a recent RFP from Northern Health towards their in house water at local facilities

But as a comment left on our message board from our story of the weekend notes, for this moment in our current times, for many the constant calls to Boil Water, or find alternate resources of drinkable water is a challenging thing for many in the community.

As things seem at the moment, every weather warning becomes a heads up for local retailers who know that there will be a need to lay in extra suppliers of bottled water to meet what will become a sudden surge in demand.

And with memories of December 2018-March 2019 and a forty three day BOIL WATER Notice still fresh in many minds,  the prospect of our at times legendary November rains for 2020 ahead, probably will mean more such advisories from the City and Northern health.

Not everyone can afford the Cadillac like water systems that local plumbers can install to help reduce a range of issues related to the water delivered into the home, and for many even the cost of having to resupply flats of water on a frequent basis is a hit on the family budget that can take a deep bite for those on limited incomes, pensions or social assistance.

Some fortunate residents can head out to Port Edward if they have family or friends to fill up on the District's water service, and Nisga'a members of the Gitmaxmak'ay Nisga'a Society in Prince Rupert can continue to make use of their water filtration program at the Nisga'a Hall.

That however still leaves a number of those in this community facing challenges with few in the way options available to lessen those burdens. 

That's a topic that City Council has yet to discuss in a public Council session, let alone offer up any solutions or suggestions for those facing what now seems to be a long term problem.

No one on Council has publicly spoken to this point about exploring the prospect of seeking some assistance from the province, or to put in place some kind of local measures to at least lend a hand to those in most need in the community. 

Until the days when we can turn on a tap and not wonder if there is an advisory in place, there are a few immediate solutions the City could consider to address the situation.

Whether it be the investment in and installation by the City of Prince Rupert of a water station and distribution program similar to that of the Nisga'a Hall somewhere on civic property, municipal tax breaks to help out families install their own home based water filtration system; or some kind of program to ensure that bottled water is provided for those who truly can't meet the financial challenge that the need for frequent replenishment is bringing.

Maybe it could be a combination of all three, or some other solution that the Council members may come up with after some public discussion as to how best to address a growing concern.

Fifteen months is a long time to wait for the shift back to the primary supply of water and to what is hoped will be the more reliable water supply and hopefully a less frequent Boil Order requirement. 

The wait for the longer range fix of the filtration plant project is even longer ...

Perhaps the City could defer some of their other grand ambitions towards a more immediate issue and one that is pretty well a key element for any municipal government, that of delivering a safe water supply to its residents, particularly our seniors and those who are the most vulnerable who may not be able to take the actions required at the moment.

If the ongoing turbidity concerns and subsequent advisories are going to be the "new normal for Prince Rupert water", then the city should be taking a leadership role and take some action towards addressing the situation for those in the most need of assistance.

A look at some of the progress and continued challenges to date for the city's water infrastructure planning can be found here.

More notes related to past City Council discussions is available here.