Chlorine contamination linked to small batches

The province's Environment minister says some small municipalities are going to either have to buy chlorine for their water in larger quantities or change suppliers.

More than a week ago, it was discovered 11 communities in the province were using chlorine contaminated with a scent agent used in cleaning products.

On Jan. 31, the communities were put on a non-consumption water order, told to flush their lines and to use a different batch of chlorine.

The problem was linked to chlorine distributed in small containers by one company. Environment Minister Charlene Johnson told Transcontinental Media there is nothing wrong with the product, but the process used to fill the smaller containers led to the contamination.

It's been discovered 48 communities in the province have been using those small containers, but only 11 were using the affected batch.

The process for filling those small containers is not certified by the National Sanitation Foundation, an international standards organization.

Johnson maintains there was never any health risk.

"(But) we require, through our certificate for operating as a municipality, they use certified chemicals and materials. It's very much a precautionary approach. There's nothing harmful in the product."

The agent has been determined as Cordiere LCV, known as fresh mountain scent, made up of three active chemicals. Health Canada said one, camphor, does not pose a health risk. However, it could not say the same, conclusively, about the other two - orthotertiary butyl, and methyl 1-2, 2-dimethylbicyclo-(2,2,1) heptane-3-carboxylate.

It said the only scientific studies with those two deal with high oral doses in animals, and can't be translated into human effects when levels are low.

"Although no firm conclusion can be drawn, short-term exposure is unlikely to pose a risk to human health," wrote Health Canada media relations officer Joey Rathwell.

Still, the Liberal Opposition environment critic, Roland Butler, wants better assurances for the future.

"I am left questioning whether the Department of Environment and Conservation has water quality assurance policies that reflect the different needs of different communities," he wrote in a news release.

"Minister Johnson needs to explain to the public what provisions are now being put in place to prevent this from occurring again."

The minister said there are standards in place.

"This is a private transaction between a consumer and a supplier. These municipalities are the ones that operate their public water systems, and the purchaser of the product," she remarked.

"They're certainly required to ensure what is asked of them is followed," including using a certified product.

Johnson added Cordiere LCV is hard to detect when in chlorine.

She also said all the affected communities have successfully flushed their systems. A 12th community was also found to have ordered the contaminated product, but the shipment was still at the post office.

The presence of the contaminated product was discovered after the province was alerted of the problem by the Department of Environment in New Brunswick.