The Chilliwack
Progress Thursday
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Local mother pens book on son’s fight.
Classic Swan Lake comes to Chilliwack.
Chiefs looking to bump slump.
Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • T H U R S D AY, F E B R U A R Y 7 , 2 0 1 3
Fraser Health orders water chlorination Chilliwack’s “exceptional” record of ensuring high-quality drinking water, they said projected population increasChilliwack has won awards for hav- es over the next decade will put presing the best-tasting drinking water in sure on the water infrastructure, and the world. the associated risks to the water distriNow health officials say the chem- bution system. ical-free drinking water system must “What we are telling you right now be chlorinated. is that you need this because you Dr. Marcus Lem, medical health are growing in population,” Lem told officer for Fraser Health’s east council. region, was happy to take a big sip of Water sampling with the curChilliwack tap water rent system, although while making a predone twice as often as sentation to council at is required, with 42 the meeting. samples a week, is not But he said he enough for a system of wouldn’t let his Even though I am Chilliwack’s size, the daughter drink it. health official said. Three incidents going to drink this I It could take up to of E.coli contaminaeight or nine days to tion in Chilliwack’s would never let my tell if contamination was water system in the in the system, in daughter drink it present past five years were a worse case scenario. “ample evidence that The fact that E.coli we should be look- ~ Dr. Marcus Lem was found more than ing into doing someonce “probably means thing,” Lem said. you have fecal contamiIf it was just once, nation all the time,” he he wouldn’t be as constated. cerned. Two reports “I like to drink water were in the Mount Shannon area from a stream,” Lem recounted for of Little Mountain and one was on council. So did one of his colleagues, Promontory Hill. who went on to contract giardia. As a result, new conditions will “You can’t do that when you have be required for the city’s municipal 80,00 people,” he said. “You’ve got an drinking water permit, namely that a excellent system. We want to make it secondary disinfectant, chlorine, will better.” have to be added. Shifting to continuous chlorination In 1997 and 1999, Chilliwack won is going to cost the city $1.5 million in awards from the Canadian Water upgrades, and it doesn’t have a choice Resource Association for having the in the matter. “best drinking water in Canada,” and “That’s a pretty big download,” in 2005 they won fifth best drink- commented Mayor Sharon Gaetz. ing water in the world, from Berkley It will cost about $100,000 a year to Springs World Water Competition. maintain the new system. While Fraser Health reps noted Continued: FHA/ p5
Jennifer Feinberg The Progress
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“Council is concerned about how adding a disinfectant such as chlorine, could affect the quality of our award-winning water,” says Mayor Sharon Gaetz. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
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