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Water quality improves

Filtration plant reduces N. Van turbidity issues

TURBIDITY in the District of North Vancouver's water has dropped off significantly since the completion of the Seymour-Capilano filtration plant in early 2010.

A July 11 report to council on water quality showed turbidity issues, defined as cloudiness caused by sediment, in only three per cent of samples taken during 2010 compared to 18 per cent of samples in 2009, and the majority of high turbidity readings were taken before the new filtration plant opened on Jan. 15, according to a report to council on water test results.

In November 2006, torrential rains caused dozens of landslides into the region's reservoirs, raising turbidity levels to the point that a boilwater advisory was issued for much of the region. The advisory lasted about a week.

None of the 1,320 samples collected contained coliform bacteria, and the report says the tests found good bacteriological and chlorine results.

Recorded haloacetic acid concentrations higher than the Canadian standard were found in 10 of 16 samples, which the report said was because of Metro Vancouver's filtration plant commissioning process, but those readings have also decreased with the opening of the filtration plant and pose a negligible health risk.

The report also mentions that the Capilano water supply was out of service for 225 days in 2010, due partly to turbidity issues and partly to operational preferences. A new water tunnel scheduled for completion in 2013 to connect the Capilano Reservoir to the filtration plant at Rice Lake is designed to address that problem, and will allow staff to lower the levels in the Capilano Reservoir more than is currently possible.

tholloway@nsnews.com