Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

odourless

Epcor to add lead-reducing chemical to Edmonton's water in 2023, two years behind schedule

Epcor to add lead-reducing chemical to Edmonton's water in 2023, two years behind schedule

Levels of lead in drinking water city-wide should begin dropping in early 2023 when orthophosphate is added at Edmonton’s water treatment plant, two years later than initially promised. Epcor announced Thursday the odourless, colourless chemical will be added to city water by early 2023. Orthophosphate creates a protective barrier inside a pipe to prevent lead from leaching into the water. Around 4,200 Edmonton homes are currently serviced by lead pipes owned by Epcor, the utility said. Adding this treatment by the end of 2020 was promised as part of broader lead-reducing plans approved by city council in March 2019 around the time Health Canada reduced the concentration of lead in water allowed to five micrograms per litre from 10 micrograms per litre.

EPCOR adjusting water chemistry to mitigate lead

EPCOR adjusting water chemistry to mitigate lead

Starting in December 2022, EPCOR will add orthophosphate to its treated water to reduce lead. As EPCOR is Leduc’s water provider, this includes our community’s water supply. Orthophosphate is an odorless, tasteless substance that creates a protective barrier on plumbing surfaces to reduce the release of lead in drinking water from all sources, including lead service lines and plumbing. Many municipalities across North America use orthophosphate. It has no negative health effects, and is endorsed by Alberta Health Services and Alberta Environment and Parks.

B.C. community of Hedley under do-not-consume water advisory due to arsenic levels

B.C. community of Hedley under do-not-consume water advisory due to arsenic levels

Residents of a small B.C. community are facing an ongoing water issue that started in late December and could stretch into March. Located in the Southern Interior, the village of Hedley is under a do-not-consume water advisory because of higher-than-safe arsenic levels. The advisory came into effect on Christmas Day and, because of wrinkles caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, is expected to last another four weeks.

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