Mood=Turbid
Most readers are probably aware that Vancouver was issued a boil water advisory around 2 weeks ago.
What most people outside of the area won't be aware of is that the city, province, water department, local news, and national news all failed to create a data center to update residents as to current turbidity (churned up ickiness) levels in the water, or when it would be safe to drink. Canada's great in a lot of ways, but holy crap, do we have poor national coverage of issues like this. If this was the States, there would have constantly updated "WATER WATCH-2006!" banners on every major news site. Seriously, for a major health concern affecting 2 million people, I'd expect at least a daily update and forcast on the city's water service website. Instead, they issued only 2 press releases over the whole period.
In one of those press releases, unseen by a large chunk of the city's population, they lifted the advisory 2 days ago. Try finding that it's been lifted anywhere online.
As a public service, because nobody else could seem to be bothered, here's a summary of the facts needed to follow safe drinking water levels here in town in the future, and an overview of the current situation.
Water clarity is measured in NTU (nephelometric* turbidity units), and most municipalities try to keep NTU readings below 1.0 in unfliltered water like Vancouver's. Water is generally thought of as safe to drink if it's under 10 though.
So, from a record height of 70 NTU 10 days ago, Vancouver's turbidity levels in the two (of 3) currently operational resevoirs that feed into our city have dropped to 4.6 and 2.0. Higher than ideal, but plenty safe to drink.
If locals ever want to check current levels, just head over to the GVRD website.
There's no archive though, which means that you can't look at water clarity trends over the past weeks, months, or years. That should surprise me, but sadly it doesn't.
*Nephele= greek for cloud
What most people outside of the area won't be aware of is that the city, province, water department, local news, and national news all failed to create a data center to update residents as to current turbidity (churned up ickiness) levels in the water, or when it would be safe to drink. Canada's great in a lot of ways, but holy crap, do we have poor national coverage of issues like this. If this was the States, there would have constantly updated "WATER WATCH-2006!" banners on every major news site. Seriously, for a major health concern affecting 2 million people, I'd expect at least a daily update and forcast on the city's water service website. Instead, they issued only 2 press releases over the whole period.
In one of those press releases, unseen by a large chunk of the city's population, they lifted the advisory 2 days ago. Try finding that it's been lifted anywhere online.
As a public service, because nobody else could seem to be bothered, here's a summary of the facts needed to follow safe drinking water levels here in town in the future, and an overview of the current situation.
Water clarity is measured in NTU (nephelometric* turbidity units), and most municipalities try to keep NTU readings below 1.0 in unfliltered water like Vancouver's. Water is generally thought of as safe to drink if it's under 10 though.
So, from a record height of 70 NTU 10 days ago, Vancouver's turbidity levels in the two (of 3) currently operational resevoirs that feed into our city have dropped to 4.6 and 2.0. Higher than ideal, but plenty safe to drink.
If locals ever want to check current levels, just head over to the GVRD website.
There's no archive though, which means that you can't look at water clarity trends over the past weeks, months, or years. That should surprise me, but sadly it doesn't.
*Nephele= greek for cloud
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