Water Woes Continue

The Town of Bonavista has serious drinking water issues and it can't afford to address them properly. Unfortunately it isn't alone. This article over at CBC lays out some of the issues related to chlorination and water quality in two towns, but it mentions the fact that well over one hundred other municipalities are facing similar issues with little help from the Provincial or Federal governments.

To get a little more background you can have a look at some of my previous posts on drinking water issues in NL that are mostly linked through this one. The state of our drinking water is appalling and everyone knows it. There is no simple solution but there must be a solution. It is a basic need or right especially if you're paying taxes for it, like the residents of Bonavista.

The interesting side of this article at the CBC is the response by Minister Hedderson:

"If you are in a community where there are any levels of THMs, you can put a filter system on your home water," Hedderson said.

Hedderson says residents can also purchase personal water filtration systems, in the form of a jug with charcoal filters, that are designated to remove THMs. ("NSF Standard 35" should be on the label).

"As long as the filter is certified for THMs, you can be assured that your drinking water is relatively free of them," he said.

Wow. So if your municipal taxes aren't enough you can pony up some more cash for filters that can provide drinking water that is "relatively free" from harm. Nice.

There's also a picture of Hedderson with a caption stating

"... government believes it would take a lifetime of exposure to THMs to make a significant difference to residents' health." 

The problem Tom doesn't seem to grasp is that this is indeed the very situation for hundreds of residents in Newfoundland and Labrador. Maybe we should start by fixing the basics and then moving on to the complicated stuff. Just a thought.