A version of the following letter has been sent to members of the Pasadena town council:
I am writing you all to address the significant concerns I have over the recent report from The Western Star in regards to the trihalomethanes (THM) levels in our town water supply.
As a citizen of this community for the past seven years, I am beyond disappointed to hear that our water quality has not met the Health Canada maximum acceptable concentration for trihalomethanes.
We as citizens put great trust in our federal, provincial and municipal governments to ensure our safety is a top priority. At the top of those priorities should be safe and potable water, safe for daily consumption.
Related links:
Pasadena, St. Paul’s among the towns grappling with unacceptable THM levels in its drinking water
Pasadena resident was surprised to hear about issues with drinking water
I would challenge the knowledge and expertise of this town council to determine that there is “no risk in drinking the water,” and the expertise to overrule what Health Canada has determined as maximum acceptable level of 100 µg/L.
I was able to access the THM data for Pasadena since September 2011 through the Department of Environment and Conservation Water Resources Management Division, and it clearly indicates that since 2011 the THMs for Pasadena have been well above the Health Canada maximum acceptable concentrations.
In The Western Star story, Mayor Gary Bishop is quoted as saying, “It’s not a major concern, but it is something we have to address, yes.” I would beg to differ.
As a citizen of this community, this is a major concern for me and my family. I also ask why this has not been addressed in the past.
Clearly the THM levels have not met the acceptable levels for more than seven years. That is seven years of our citizens drinking water that is, by Health Canada standards, not safe. Seven years the town has had to rectify this issue.
According to the information provided by Health Canada, “animal studies have shown links between exposure to specific trihalomethanes and liver tumours in mice and kidney tumours in both mice and rats; some studies in humans show data that are consistent with these findings. Human studies are suggesting a link between exposure to trihalomethanes and colorectal cancers.”
So, I specifically ask: why has this matter not been dealt with in the past seven years? And when do you plan on fixing this issue that is a health risk to all our citizens?
Shawna Matthews, Pasadena
