The Northwestern Health Unit is advising all people not on municipal water to boil drinking water until their wells are tested.
“We’ve been in touch with the Ministry of the Environment and all municipal water supplies are fine,” municipal and environmental health consultant Bill Limerick said Thursday morning.
But Limerick said the health unit is advising all people not on municipal water supplies to take precautions such as boil their drinking water for one at least minute and get their well water tested.
“It was put out as a precaution because of the heavy rains. There might be contamination in wells with the runoff,” public health inspector Al Mathers said.
Mathers noted there has been no indication there is contamination in the water anywhere in the district, but the health unit suggested people test their individual wells just in case.
“There might be a problem and people should take precautions and samples just to see,” he noted.
Bottles for testing water can be obtained from any Northwestern Health Unit and sent away for testing. Testing well water is free, but the unit charges $2 per bottle to cover transportation costs to Thunder Bay.
Limerick added anyone concerned about water in their basements and proper clean-up methods also can drop by the health unit for more information.