New tests clean, but boil-water advisory still in effect for Winnipeg

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This article was published 28/01/2015 (3915 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s precautionary boil-water advisory remains in effect even though a second round of samples collected Tuesday all proved to be clear of bacteria.

City officials said a citywide precautionary boil-water advisory remains in effect until the Province of Manitoba declares Winnipeg’s water is safe to drink.

Geoff Patton, the city’s water and waste engineer, said the earliest the advisory could be lifted is Thursday afternoon, when another round of testing is concluded.

The city believes six samples that tested positive for the presence of coliform bacteria ‎were the result of sampling errors.

Patton said the samples that tested positive for E. coli Monday were retested, along with another 21 other samples along the city’s water system.

All of those samples on the re-test came back Wednesday negative for E. coli, Patton said, but provincial health officials want another round of testing before they are prepared to lift the boil-water advisory.

If, as expected, those samples turn out clean, the province is expected to lift the advisory.

Federal health protocols demand two clean tests, 24 hours apart, before a city-wide boil-water advisory can be lifted, provincial medical officers said.

City will scrutinize testing procedures

Mayor Brian Bowman said the city has no plans to compensate any businesses or others for the costs incurred by the boil-water.

“Take a breath, boil some water, or buy some water,” Bowman told reporters.

Bowman said the advisory is only precautionary, adding officials are not aware of anyone becoming ill as a result of consuming Winnipeg’s tap water.

Patton said the city must examine its sampling and testing procedures to find out why the false positives occurred and how to prevent future false positives.

City employees collect the water samples from 39 designated areas. The bacteria tests are performed by a contracted local laboratory.

Water and waste director Diane Sacher said the same city employee collected all six problematic samples – but has also collected thousands of other samples that proved to be clear of bacteria.

Sacher said a different employee was involved in the second round of sampling.

Once the advisory is lifted, Sacher said an investigation will be launched to determine the cause of the false positives.

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Bowman and Patton said they were committed to releasing the findings of that investigation.

This is the second time in 18 months that a boil water advisory has been issued for Winnipeg. In 2013, a localized advisory was issued for a small area in St. Vital that was proven to be a false positive. No explanation for ever provided for those false test results.

Aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

Bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca