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Paint pollution caused a stream feeding into a sensitive North Vancouver watercourse to turn milky white this week.
But authorities say they haven’t been able to pinpoint the source – an all-too-common occurrence.
Lynn Valley resident Greg Robins was out walking his dog in Hunter Park on Monday afternoon when he came to a storm outflow than runs into a small watercourse that joins Hastings Creek.
On Monday, however, that watercourse definitely looked different.
“It was whitish milky water.”
Robins said he was concerned because he could see the pollution was flowing down towards the creek – a known fish habitat.
Fortunately while he was there, District of North Vancouver staff showed up to assess the situation.
District spokesperson Courtenay Rannard said staff subsequently determined that the substance in the water was most likely paint. But they were unable to locate the source, she added. “Unfortunately this is a common occurrence in our local waterways during the summer months.”
Rannard said when people are painting around their home, they need to remember to never rinse paint cans or brushes outdoors near storm drains.
It’s better to rinse paint inside the home, she said, as those drains feed into the wastewater treatment plant.
Storm drains, on the other hand, usually end up in creeks and rivers which can harm fish and other aquatic life.
Robins said he’s seen similar problems in the past. That’s too bad, he said, as Hunter Park contains a large pond that’s home to ducks, turtles and birds.
Fortunately, Robins said the pollution appeared to be gone later in the week.
In July, the City of North Vancouver was called to another paint spill into a pond in Tempe Heights Park, when paint was apparently dumped into a storm drain nearby.
In that case, municipal crews were able to find the source of the paint.
Bylaw staff and city lawyers are still determining next steps.
