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Water advisory over in Port

Port Clements residents are no longer under a boil water advisory.The boil water order, in place since March 22, was lifted Wednesday afternoon (July 14) after water tests came back clean and clear.Northern Health ordered the village to start adding chlorine to the water in late June after water tests continued to be inconsistent. Since March, the tests had shown higher than acceptable levels of total coliforms, which are not dangerous themselves but are a warning sign, said administrator Heather Nelson-Smith.Some Port residents are concerned about the health effects of the chlorine and are scheduled to present a petition to the village council when it meets Monday night (July 19), she said.Northern Health will be coming to Port to explain the water situation and the order to add chlorine once the results of tests for trihalomethanes, or THMs, come back, Ms Nelson-Smith said. Trihalomethanes are a byproduct formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter in the water, and have been associated with an increased risk of cancer in lab animals. Northern Health will be monitoring the THM levels to make sure they are within guidelines.