Public urged to make distinction when testing water

Public health inspectors want residents to take advantage of their water-testing program for only a dollar–but they’re also urging people to make sure they’re not taking in untreated surface water first.
Surface water–water from lakes, wells or any source that is exposed to possible contamination by humans or animals– has constantly-changing levels of bacteria because wastes frequently leak in.
If the water’s tested when it happens to be relatively clean, results come back skewed and offer false reassurance that it’s all right for drinking.
“A sample of lake water may come back fine but that’s no guarantee that the sample, when tested again in half an hour, will not be contaminated,” said Bill Limerick, environmental health team leader of the Kenora Northwestern Health Unit. “That’s the nature of surface water.”
If water is taken from a lake beside a farm, for example, its bacterial levels will certainly change constantly because wastes and other materials are constantly flowing into it.
If officials know that a sample has come from untreated surface water, they won’t even test it. And if a sample seems unusually contaminated, testers call the people who brought it in and find often–about 25 percent of the time, Limerick estimated–that it came from untreated surface water.
Surface water is usually treated with chlorine. After it’s been treated, it should be sent in to make sure other more dangerous bacteria aren’t in it. The results are more accurate when they’re not confused by bacteria that could be eliminated simply using chlorine.
Water is considered unsafe when it contains five or more types of coliforms (bacteria associated with human or animal wastes), like E. coli, or viruses or parasites. Testing officials then phone the people who brought the water in to inform them.
Protected groundwater–such as water from a natural well–is generally safe, and only needs to be tested in the spring, fall, and after heavy rain.
Beginning last week, the Northwestern Health Unit on Scott Street has started accepting water samples to be tested for only a dollar.
Usually residents have to bring water samples to the post office to send them to the Thunder Bay lab. This costs between $12 and $15.
“By doing it for a loonie, we’re giving people more equal access,” said Ken Allan, infectious disease control team leader in Fort Frances. “The number of water samples is tremendous: it’s gone up 500 per cent.”