The City of Morden sought to assure residents this past week that it was doing all it can to address concerns around the odour and taste of its water.
Mayor Nancy Penner said they were well aware of the concerns being raised on social media outlets, and they are taking all of the necessary steps to address the issue.
“The city is working hard … and we’re meeting our standards in terms of producing safe water for the community,” said Penner. “I am confident that the city produces safe water because we do have to test regularly and meet the drinking water quality standards. That is a given.
“It is a time of the year where we have rainfall … and we have high temperatures,” she noted. “Heat and lack of fresh water coming in to the lake is a perfect combination for algae growth … that does create some challenges for the water treatment plant to get rid of that musty smell.”
In a news release, the City of Morden likewise explained the current odour and unpleasant taste in the water are due to seasonal changes in temperature and algae blooms in Lake Minnewasta.
This can cause the water to have an earthy or musty smell and taste, but that does not make it unsafe to drink, the city said.
“Our water treatment plant is equipped to handle a wide range of water quality issues, and our team is working diligently to address the problem,” the release noted. “We have already implemented additional treatment processes to mitigate the odour and taste. Residents should start noticing an improvement in water taste and odour over time as these efforts take effect.”
The city with the assistance of the Manitoba Water Services Board has issued tenders for the construction of a new standpipe which will include an air stripping system to reduce THM levels in the water and also help reduce odours.
As well, the city has awarded the work for an ultrasonic algae control system at the lake. That system will be installed early next spring.
“We’ve been having some struggles with getting our regulatory ducks in a row and we’ve had some issues,” explained Penner of why it isn’t happening sooner. “We just didn’t get everything in place in time to bring it into this year.”
