Tap water in Raymond is okay to drink

By Jonathan Guignard

Guij26@gmail.com

With many people in Raymond concerned about the quality of their tap water, the Ridge Water Treatment Plant is saying citizens of the town have nothing to worry about.

Facebook has blown up over the last week, with a lot of people angry and worried about the taste and smell of the water.

One Facebook user posted, “The water is so horribly disgusting right now; I’m dehydrated beyond belief.”

Another post read, “You can just smell the water and it smells like algae. The town needs to do something about the water, the plant is only a few years old. There’s no excuse for the taste and smell of the water.”

One person pointed out that they have resorted to purchasing their water, “We had to buy bottles of water too. Not impressed.”

These types of posts have flooded the Raymond & Area Discussion’s Facebook page for well over a week, but after speaking with the Ridge Water Treatment Plant in Raymond, they say people shouldn’t be alarmed.

“It’s a seasonal thing. The algae grows on the lake because of the warm water and the warm air. Once the Algae dies off and begins to decay, it dissolves in the water and that’s what creates the taste and odour,” said Operations Manager, Rick Lowry.“ Healthwise, there is absolutely no reason to be concerned.”

Lowry added, the correct measures have been taken and nothing has changed on how they go about cleaning the water.

“It’s filtered a 100 times more than what Alberta Environment and Alberta Health regulate. The cleanliness is there. The only thing you can’t get out is the dissolved organics which gives you the taste and odour,” said Lowry.

It’s something they say is out of their control and are just waiting for it to pass.

“Typically it runs through till September. Sometimes it’s mid-September and sometimes it’s not until the end. It depends on the season and the temperature,” said Lowry.

If the taste or odour is bothering you, Lowry suggests the best way to get rid of the smell is by filtering it again at home.

“Carbon filters in you fridge like a Brita water filter or anything like that will get rid of taste and odour if you have a concern,” said Lowry.

Alberta Environment checks the water every week, while Alberta Health was in Warner, Stirling, Raymond and New Dayton about two weeks ago making sure the water levels were normal. It was deemed safe to consume.

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