All Jasper residents and businesses can now resume normal water practices as the boil water advisory has been lifted for all remaining areas.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) confirmed in an advisory Wednesday (Sept. 18) that satisfactory water quality has been restored for the remainder of Jasper, and boiling water is no longer required.
AHS first issued a boil water advisory for the entire townsite on July 29 while Jasper was evacuated. This advisory was due to wildfire activity and depressurization impacting the water distribution system.
Dr. Kristin Pon, medical officer of health with AHS, said its environmental public health team had been working with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas as well as the water system operators and its contracted engineering firm to understand the damages and timelines for restoring water.
“Over the last six weeks or so, there’s been lots of testing, so multiple tests at multiple locations and actually quite a broad panel of tests that were conducted as well to understand if the water is safe,” Pon said. “And, of course, now we have seen that it is safe, and therefore the water advisory has been lifted and water has been restored.”
Pon noted that once system repairs have been completed, there is a requirement to flush and disinfect the water system as well as to restore chlorine levels. AHS would then take samples after that.
“So really, the samples come after a very thorough process to ensure that the system has been restored, and sampling is just the last step in ensuring that it’s safe,” she said.
On Aug. 8, the advisory was lifted for the northern half of town, which was least impacted by the wildfire. It was lifted for additional areas on Aug. 23.
Since then, an advisory had been in place for some neighborhoods in the south end of the townsite, much of the industrial area and some outlying accommodations.
Once an advisory is lifted, AHS recommends flushing all hot and cold water-using fixtures by running the taps for five minutes. Those with a long or complex service connection should consider flushing longer.
Equipment with water line connections should be emptied/discarded, flushed, cleaned and disinfected according to the manufacturer’s recommendations before use.
Residents should also flush, drain, clean and disinfect cisterns that contain the affected water source.
Alberta Health Services has other recommendations available online for reopening buildings, homes and businesses after a wildfire. It also has general wildfire resources for Jasper residents and other Albertans.
For 24/7 health advice and information, call Health Link at 811.
