Options limited to address Prince Albert water odour, discolouration

The location the city pulls its water from also plays a role and is the reason other communities along the North Saskatchewan are not necessarily experiencing the same problem.

“The discoloration, with the turbidity levels being as high as they have been this year, that’s why we’re getting complaints,” Earing said.

He told council the city has been meeting with the Water Security Agency and has increased testing to ensure the water continues to meet safety requirements.

“We’ve met all the legal and regulatory criteria that we’ve needed to meet and exceed it,” he said. “And we’ve continued to further testing with more and more locations.”

The city is also sending samples to the Saskatchewan Research Council for independent testing, Earing said, describing the testing as thorough.

“The treatments that we’re using for the water right now is as best as anybody in the province would be able to treat that water,” he said.

The duration of the taste and odour issue will depend largely on source water conditions. Typically, they begin to improve as cooler temperatures return, and the natural organic compound levels decrease.

Recent data shows the water quality is improving. UVA254 is a water quality measurement that detects the amount of organic matter in water. The city said it decreased by 22 per cent between Aug. 17 and Aug. 24. The City has also observed reduced chlorine demand throughout reservoirs and the distribution system, another indicator that concentrations of naturally occurring organic matter are decreasing.

The problem is residents can notice those compounds even at very low levels.

“The human nose can detect them at concentrations as low as a few parts per trillion.”

That makes it difficult to remove the odour-causing compounds completely, even with treatment.

“We do treat it with carbon,” Earing said. “Our expenses on the material have been very expensive this year compared to most normal years. But the ability to get rid of that 100 per cent is not there.”

While conditions at the Water Treatment Plant are improving, it can take approximately three to four days for freshly treated water to move throughout the distribution system and reach every tap,” the City said in an update.

During Monday’s council meeting, Coun. Tony Head asked whether relining work or hydrant flushing could be contributing to what residents are seeing and smelling from their taps.

Earing said flushing can help with discolouration, but not necessarily with the smell.

He said the issue is not isolated to one neighbourhood and has been seen throughout the city. The city has posted information online, including a map showing areas affected, which are city-wide.

Councillor Dan Brown proposed exploring the idea of giving households a one-month rebate, which some councillors immediately said they would not support. The cost of doing so, and a decision, will come back to council at a future meeting.

Hydraulic flushing begins next week

The City of Prince Albert’s annual hydraulic flushing program will begin in Zone 1 the week of Aug. 31. The zone includes areas north of 19th Street.

The work will take place Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is expected to continue for four to six weeks, weather permitting.

Residents may experience temporary water pressure loss or discoloured water while crews flush water mains. The city advises residents to avoid using water during flushing in their area and to turn off time-delayed systems such as dishwashers, water softeners and lawn sprinklers.

The annual program uses high-velocity water to remove sediment and mineral buildup from water mains.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

by Susan McNeil

Options limited to address Prince Albert water odour, discolouration

Hydraulic flushing begins next week

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