Boil water order remains in effect
Posted on May 26, 2014 by Maple CreekA boil water order issued for the town is not expected to be lifted until possibly tomorrow.
The order was placed on all businesses and residences in Maple Creek at 10 a.m. on Saturday after a problem with a fire hydrant resulted in the water being shut off.
The hydrant at the corner of Harder Street and First Avenue broke, and for the repairs to be completed town workers had to shut off the water main Saturday morning. Once repairs were completed, a boil water order was required to be issued due to high turbidity in the line, and the town could not guarantee the safety of its drinking water supply.
“When the fire hydrant blew, that line got shut off and it got depressurized,” explained town administrator Michele Schmidt. “When we turned that line back on, it basically disturbed the dirt in the line.”
The town has been sending daily water samples in to a lab, and final results are expected back tomorrow. If the water tests come back fine, Saskatchewan Environment can remove the order.
Until then, residents are advised to boil water for one minute before drinking, brushing teeth, washing dishes or using it in food preparation where food or drink is not subsequently heated. It is not required to be boiled for any other purposes such as bathing, but it is advised young children be bathed by an adult to ensure they don’t swallow any of the water.
At Kelli Dee Floral, owner Nola Sanderson said bottled water sales haven’t been too much higher than normal. The business was without water when it opened at 9 a.m. on Saturday until about 11 a.m. when the water was turned back on. The only concern was for plants in the greenhouse, but Sanderson’s father brought in a tank of water and they used it to water the plants by hand.
For more information on the boil water order, contact the town office at 306-662-2244.
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