BOWDEN – Council has postponed approval of a drinking water distribution and safety plan policy, pending some more tweaking by town staff.
The plan/policy, which outlines a standard operating procedure (SOP) came up for approval during council’s Jan. 8 meeting.
It became necessary after the town failed an inspection by Alberta Environment officials last spring.
Chief administrative officer James Mason stresses the failure had nothing to do with the quality or safety of the town’s water. He says the failure was entirely due to lack of a water distribution plan and safety policy. The town has not had one in place for years.
Mason and assistant to the CAO, Arno Glover, said the town should easily pass next time it is inspected because by then, it will have the policy and plan in place. Staff is also working on getting a system in place where reports, etc., can be sent in online, rather than the current system, where they’re handwritten.
During an interview with the Albertan, Mason explained that the Town of Bowden does not treat its own water; that’s done by the South Red Deer Regional Water Commission, via the Anthony Henday Plant near Bowden.
That water is then sent to the Bowden reservoir where employees check chlorine levels in the water and take bacteriological samples of it. Those samples are sent away for analysis and the results are sent back to the town.
The town has two employees who are working on obtaining their level 1 water operator status. One is expected to reach that level this summer; the other is expected to do so in about a year.
"We were doing the work, the physical work, but we weren’t necessarily keeping the records properly,” Mason said.
"They had looked at what we were doing and we were doing the testing and keeping the records as best we knew how. And they said, ‘that’s OK, we know you’re doing the testing, you’re getting your water samples back, everything looks good, but you need to get this water safety plan in place.’”
Mason explained water operators can’t obtain more than a level 1 status in Bowden because the town doesn’t do any more than the responsibilities outlined above. It doesn’t treat its own water.
Meanwhile, the Bowden employees are overseen by Wes Olstad, a level 4 water operator, through an agreement with the South Red Deer Regional Water Commission.
"In the interim, how far up over the fence is our butt on the system we’re currently using,” Coun. Paul Webb asked during council debate on the matter.
"Well, we’re way better off now than we were before because we had none of this then,” Mason replied.
"That doesn’t make it right,” Coun. Wayne Milaney said.
Glover said the plan is for staff to utilize the SOP, especially if they spot a problem.
"If there is an incident or a problem, they would hopefully pick up the bible, turn to the right section and say to themselves, ‘what do we need to do? What should we be doing as a matter of course?’ That’s part and parcel of the SOP,” he said.
"The last thing we want is for them to have to pick up that book and say, ‘what went wrong?’ We don’t want that. We want to make sure that we’re on board and everything’s working well,” Milaney said.
"My concern is with Wayne, that we’re just making sure that the right people have got the right equipment and the right training in order to do it,” Coun. Carol Pion said.
"As of tonight we are in way better shape than we were any time over the last five years. It’s really moved ahead; Wes is an excellent trainer,” Mayor Robb Stuart said.
James Mason. chief administration officer for the Town of Bowden
"We were doing the work, the physical work, but we weren't necessarily keeping the records properly."
