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• White Rock Water Woes

  Friday, June 3rd, 2016

  watermatters™ has received many calls from residents of White Rock seeking a solution to their home water quality concerns. White Rock’s tap water situation is quite different from that of Metro Vancouver.

  White Rock is facing multiple challenges regarding the quality of its tap water and the governance of its water supply. The community’s tap water will become chlorinated (city-wide) this month, for the first time ever. Elevated levels of manganese and arsenic that occur in White Rock’s water supply are cause for unease. Concerns about these water quality issues and how they might be resolved have been compounded by the impact of the recent, very unfortunate fire in White Rock and ensuing boil water advisory.

  It remains to be seen how/when the City of White Rock remediates these manganese and arsenic issues. Meanwhile there is the possibility (not favoured by the mayor of White Rock) to switch the community water source from the Sunnyside Uplands aquifer (the origin of the manganese and arsenic) to water supplied by Metro Vancouver from the North Shore mountains.

  watermatters™ believes that recommendations should account for the immediate situation regarding elevated levels of manganese and arsenic as well as taking into consideration the fact that system-wide treatment upgrades may be implemented for arsenic and/or manganese remediation within the next few years. That White Rock might switch to Metro Vancouver for its water supply also remains open as a possibility. Any of these eventualities would remediate some water quality issues at the City level, thus affecting water treatment requirements for your home in the future.

  watermatters™ objective is to provide immediate, effective and affordable home water treatment solutions specifically to meet the needs of concerned White Rock residents. We are striving to take these municipal level uncertainties into consideration so that, down the road, residents are not stuck with an inappropriate, and unnecessarily expensive, home water treatment system.

  Posted in The Future of Water, Water Treatment Guide

• Chlorine or Chloramine: White Rock asks how to disinfect tap water

  Thursday, October 22nd, 2015

  The City of White Rock held a public forum (mid-October 2015) regarding its acquisition of the water-utility from Epcor. The forum was attended by about 30 residents.

  At this meeting options were presented regarding how White Rock will disinfect its tap water to be in compliance with Fraser Health. The Director of Engineering presented two options: to disinfect with chlorine or chloramine (chlorine plus ammonia). It seems that the City’s bias is toward using chloramine. There are water chemistry reasons that might steer this decision toward the convenience of using chloramine instead of chlorine. However this choice will have significant health and environmental consequences. It is unfortunate that only a handful of White Rock residents were in attendance at this important public forum.

  Chloramine is Controversial

  The use of chloramine as a disinfectant is increasingly controversial.

  Greater Vancouver went through a similar decision process and chose to disinfect with chlorine.
  “In the early 1990’s, a comprehensive Environmental Assessment evaluated the use of both chlorine and chloramine as a secondary disinfectant. Through an extensive public consultation process in 1994, chlorine was chosen as the most favourable option.”

  White Rock Water Utility Billing Changes

  White Rock officials also announced forthcoming billing changes resulting from the acquisition of the water utility.

  Questions were raised about the as yet undisclosed amount the City has agreed to pay for the utility. The unofficial guestimate is $23 million.

  Attendees of the forum also had questions about the sale of a parcel of land by Epcor. There is public controversy about this transaction involving a location (1454 Oxford St) which is now slated for high-rise development.

  Feedback Requested from White Rock Residents

  The City of White Rock is soliciting feedback regarding the billing changes and disinfection options – your input can be made here.

  Posted in The Future of Water, Vancouver Water, Water and Health

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