Questions about water quality advisories in place for the Cove Cay system (in the Egmont area) and set to come into effect for residents of Sandy Hook and Tuwanek, should Stage 3 Chapman system conservation regulations be called, are to be addressed at an Aug. 7 online information session. A link to the session will be available on scrd.ca. The session is slated to be recorded and available on the Sunshine Coast Regional District's YouTube channel.
The event is slated to start at 6:30 p.m. and will be jointly hosted by the SCRD and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). It is currently scheduled for one hour.
The SCRD’s Cove Cay system draws surface water from Ruby Lake. While the region’s Chapman system is currently at Stage 2, once Stage 3 and 4 restrictions are called, the Sandy Hook and Tuwanek areas of Sechelt are slated to have their water sourced from the surface of Gray Creek. Neither of those water sources receive ultraviolet light treatment so VCH has advised the SCRD that advisories must be issued. While the SCRD's water sourcing practices have not changed from previous years, the requirement from VCH that advisories be issued in cases of single-source treatment is new this year.
A July 26 SCRD press release stated that letters would be mailed to residents impacted by the advisories.
The release goes on to detail that health risks related to consuming water from these sources is generally low. It cautions that for individuals with very weak immune systems or those who are pregnant, ”the increased health risks associated with protozoa parasites can have serious, even life-threatening, implications which makes it imperative for them to adhere to the water quality advisory."
For individuals concerned with the risks, in-home treatment of water intended for drinking, washing of food stuffs and brushing teeth can be done by bringing it to a full boil for one minute and cooling it prior to use. An alternative, according to the release, is use of bottled water for those purposes.
