Queen Charlotte residents will be drinking untreated water for about six days next month while the water treatment plant is repaired.
The tank in the five-year old plant will be sandblasted and painted. But the work, which is routine maintenance, is delayed because it cannot begin until a motor and pump are replaced in one well, and because public works superintendent Victor La Boucane is on holidays.
He told the management committee when it met Sept. 15 that he wants to use water from two wells while the repairs are being made, because their water is relatively low in iron and manganese. However, the pump and motor of one of them recently broke need replacement.
The management committee approved $1,000 for a new pump and motor. But because Mr. La Boucane will be absent for a couple of weeks this month, the repairs won't be made until early October. After those repairs are completed, the work on the water treatment plant can begin towards the end of October.
During the six days of repairs, the town's water will be untreated, but it should be safe to drink, according to committee member Mark Salzl.
However, people shouldn't use bleach with their laundry while the water is untreated, because a chemical reaction between the iron and manganese in the water and the bleach could stain clothing, says Debra Uliana, office manager for the management committee.
The management committee will notify Queen Charlotte residents when their water will be untreated.