The Township of North Dundas and the Ontario Clean Water Agency are aware of coloured water being detected by some residents in the drinking water system serving the Village of Chesterville.
An action plan was put in place to address the issue, commencing last year. This included performing maintenance to the main production well, cleaning of the transmission pipeline from the well site to the reservoir, reservoir cleaning and flushing of the distribution system. The well maintenance and the cleaning of the transmission pipe and reservoir are now complete. Once the reservoir is back in service the distribution system will be flushed. This will occur during the normal spring flushing period over the next 1-2 weeks.
Coloured water typically occurs due to mineral sediments in the water which, if disturbed, result in brown, yellow or red coloured water in the distribution system. Any event that uses a large quantity of water such as watermain breaks, fire-fighting, or other high flow demands in the system can disturb these sediments and result in coloured water. Included in this sediment are minerals that naturally occur in groundwater sources, such as iron and manganese, which are known to cause discolouration. Although unpleasant, this discolouration is an aesthetic issue only. The water is regularly tested by the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) and meets the provincial drinking water regulations set out by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP).
If you are currently experiencing water discolouration issues for any of the above reasons, please run your taps until the water runs clear, typically 10-15 minutes. If you have flushed your taps as instructed above and are still having issues, please contact us at 613-448-3098.
We appreciate your understanding as we work to address the issue and will provide updates as necessary.