Gibsons is returning to a water supply free of chlorine.
At its May 5 meeting, Gibsons council accepted a report from the Town’s director of engineering indicating that the Ministry of Health conditions for returning to an unchlorinated water supply have been met.
“We worked closely with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) throughout the incident,” said Mayor Wayne Rowe, “and now we have completed all of the actions required by VCH under our permit with them, so effective May 15, the chlorination for zones 1 and 2 ceased. It will take a week or so for all chlorine to dissipate from our distribution system, depending on where in the Town you are located.
“Our aquifer has always been a pure and safe source of water,” Rowe added. “The issue was in the distribution systems. The water issue we experienced last summer precipitated a number of improvements the Town had intended to make to the system as time and budget permitted, and the Gibsons water system is now even more robust than before the incident.”
The improvements include protective measures such as fencing upgrades at both reservoirs; standardized emergency signage; unique water system padlocks; improved monitoring of alarms and safety control; motion sensors; and access ladder improvements to reduce the chance of unauthorized access to the water facilities.
The cost of the work requires the Town to include a one-time increase of $154 per property to the 2015 water parcel tax in this year’s municipal taxes. To maintain a healthy water system, the Town will carry out more frequent testing, and will keep a backup system available in the event of contamination; residents can aid in these efforts by using water judiciously.
