News
Nov 02, 2011
Alberta First Nation turns to bottled water over contamination concerns
By: The Canadian Press
FORT MCKAY, Alta. – An aboriginal community in northern Alberta is drinking bottled water because of concerns the municipal supply is contaminated.
The Fort McKay First Nation is supplying the bottles after water from the treatment plant was found to exceed Health Canada guidelines for a potentially cancer-causing chemical.
“It’s an issue that has to be addressed”, said Ron Quintal, president of the Fort McKay Metis Nation.
The chemicals, called trihalomethanes, are believed to cause cancer over long-term exposure. They are generated when water that contains high levels of organic materials are chlorinated.
Last summer, an increase in the amount of organic material in the Ells River caused the THM levels to spike well above Health Canada’s safety thresholds. In response, the Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which encompasses Fort McKay, installed new water treatment equipment.
But the chemicals still persist at unacceptable levels, Quintal said.
“Initially, the levels dropped. But over the last few months they have continually gone up over the thresholds.
“They are much higher than Health Canada standards and twice as high as the American standards.”
The municipality said tests from last week suggest THM levels are now approaching the Health Canada levels. Officials plan to meet weekly with Fort McKay residents to monitor the issue.
Alberta Environment is watching the situation, said spokesman Mark Cooper.
“The fact of the matter is some members of the community have concerns about their drinking water supply — we need to help alleviate those concerns,” he said.
“We are confident that the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is working proactively and taking the necessary actions to provide that certainty, with support of Alberta Environment’s experts.”
The chemical doesn’t pose a health risk over the short term, said a Health Canada spokeswoman.
“There is not an immediate risk to health, and the water remains safe for human consumption,” said Leslie Meerburg in an email.
Still, Fort McKay has hired its own consultants for weekly monitoring, said Quintal. He said the community wants to be sure its treatment system delivers safe water.
“What we’re looking is to see what we can do, what technology we can get in place in terms of eliminating this risk.”
Melissa Blake, mayor of the regional that includes Fort McKay, says Health Canada doesn’t consider the chemical to be an immediate health risk.
An Alberta Environment spokesman says a new treatment system has been installed for the community.
Mark Cooper says levels of the chemical have been dropping since September.