The Town of Hay River says efforts to bring its drinking water back within national guidelines are working, but haven’t yet done enough to lift an earlier advisory.
At the start of November, residents of Hay River and nearby communities were warned that elevated levels of chemicals known as trihalomethanes, or THMs, had been detected in the communities’ water.
High levels of THMs can come when chlorine – used to disinfect drinking water – reacts with organic material such as decaying plants and algae that you might normally find in lakewater.
The advisory noted that while no related illnesses have been reported, the notice was being published “out of an abundance of caution” as exposure to high levels of THMs over a lifetime – the time frame of 70 years was given – may increase the risk of cancer.
In an update on Wednesday, the town said some improvements had been made to the water treatment plant’s systems and more work is still to take place.
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“Recent water sample results have shown improvement in the THM levels,” the town stated. “Unfortunately, even though this is a good progress, the new annual average is still higher than the Health Canada guideline values. As such, the public health advisory will remain in effect.”
According to a new webpage established by the town, the annual average THM level has dropped from 109 μg/L earlier in November to 105.75 μg/L now. The Health Canada guideline maximum is 100 μg/L.
The town has stressed that some short-term uses of the water, such as for showers or baths, pose “minimal risk” compared to the heightened cancer risk associated with 70 years of exposure.
Even so, the territorial government’s advisory sets out steps people should take when using the water.
“The advisory will remain in place until consecutive testing confirms that THM levels meet safety standards. This process may take multiple months,” the town stated.
“Updates will be provided monthly or upon any significant change.”
