watermatters

April 2010

• Vancouver’s New ‘Bluer’ Water

  Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

  Metro Vancouver’s new Seymour Filtration Plant became fully operational in January 2010. Its launch marks phase one of a mammoth $800 million project slated for completion in 2013.

  The filtration process removes turbidity (fine dirt) making larger volumes of water appear ‘bluer’. The process also reduces the amount of chlorine initially introduced into the water supply.

  Water from the new filtration plant is temporarily being supplied to most parts of Metro Vancouver. This will change later this spring when unfiltered water from the Capilano reservoir (which has been temporarily closed) will once again supply Vancouver, Richmond, western Burnaby and western North Vancouver.

  The still-to-be-completed phase of this huge project (Seymour-Capilano Filtration Project) will link the Capilano reservoir to the Seymour Filtration Plant via twin tunnels that are currently being bored through the mountain on the North shore.

  Metro Vancouver’s water supply comes from three protected mountain reservoirs – Capilano, Seymour & Coquitlam.

  • Seymour reservoir typically supplies eastern Burnaby, South Surrey and western New Westminster.
  • Capilano normally supplies western North Vancouver, Vancouver, Richmond and western Burnaby.
  • Coquitlam reservoir supplies Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Langley, eastern New Westminster and Coquitlam. Its water is treated with ozone and chlorine and is not part of the Seymour-Capilano Filtration Project.

  Because these mountain reservoirs are located above human centres of activity, gravity is the natural and most cost effective means to shunt water downhill to our municipalities. However, if water supply or quality is compromised in one reservoir, cross-pumping can transport water from any reservoir to any part of the system.  For example, currently (May 1, 2010) the Capilano reservoir is closed and its regular recipients are being temporarily supplied by Seymour.

  The new Seymour Filtration Plant uses a process called coagulation and flocculation to separate out sediment before chlorinating the water and sending it into the distribution network. When completed in 2013, the project will also incorporate a massive ultra-violet treatment process which will lessen, but not eliminate, the use of chlorine.

  Improved filtration reduces the initial amount of chlorine introduced into the water. However, there are ‘booster’ stations located around the city that re-introduce chlorine en route to your tap. The purpose of this secondary chlorination is to maintain a lingering disinfectant action (called chlorine ‘residual’) in water as it travels through the distribution system. Proximity to one of these booster stations may result in stronger chlorine taste and odour in tap water at one location over another.

  Posted in News & Initiatives, Vancouver Water

• Pink stuff in your bathroom?

  Monday, April 26th, 2010

  In case you’re plagued with ‘pink stuff’ in your bathroom…  It’s called Serratia –a common airborne bacteria often found on the interface between water and air. Shower curtains, toilet bowl waterlines and pet dishes are some of its favourite places. It can be annoyingly persistent, even for the best of housekeepers. Regular cleaning is the recommended solution.

  Posted in Vancouver Water, Water and Health

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