City Should Set Up Clean Water Filter Stations for Future Boil Water Advisories or Notices

Prince Rupert’s 95-day boil water notice has been lifted, ending the toll of boiling or buying water borne by residents and businesses. Now, let’s prepare for a future boil water advisory or notice by making sure that there is always emergency access to clean water, especially whenever there’s a boil advisory or notice in place.

Residents and businesses not only need access to clean water, but we also pay for it through taxes and utility fees. For both reasons, the city should always provide at least some access to clean water, at no additional charge. This can be as simple as providing a water filter in the lobby of City Hall.

Given the crumbling state of our city’s public water system, and the scale of the rebuilding project currently underway, boil water notices will likely be routine for some time. We know the reason why: Fixing the big problem of our city’s crumbling public water system isn’t easy. We therefore have no choice but to roll up our sleeves and fix the problem together.

The city is prioritizing the fix, including through provincial funds, federal funds, local borrowing, and the imposition of higher utility fees on city residents and businesses. Rebuilding the city’s public water system is costly, time-intensive, complex, and well worth it. Credit goes to city government, and to our elected representatives, for their heavy lifting on the matter, specifically for the progress of the “Big Project.”

Fixing the water system in the long-term is not enough. The fix should also be cost effective, well managed, efficiently implemented, and both fair and safe for all residents. At a minimum, the city should put in place some means for the public to alway access filtered water at no additional cost. As mentioned above, this can be as simple as putting a public water filter into the lobby of City Hall, or some other simple solution.