(Black Press Media file photo)

(Black Press Media file photo)

Delta reassuring residents tap water is safe to drink

Statement prompted by telemarketers claiming water quality concerns to sell filtration systems

The City of Delta is reassuring residents that their tap water is safe to drink after a number of people reported receiving phone calls alleging water quality issues.

According to posts on the city’s social media accounts, the City of Delta has received complaints about telemarketing calls from a company “alleging drinking water quality concerns.”

The city says these claims are false and being made by a company selling water filtration systems, adding the city’s legal counsel has contacted the company to put a stop to the calls.

Delta conducts weekly water quality tests to ensure drinking water meets all applicable standards and the results are reported to council on an annual basis.

According to the latest report, which was presented to council on June 24, city staff conducted a total of approximately 1,360 water sample tests last year from 34 sampling stations located across Delta.

Samples were tested on-site for temperature, turbidity and chlorine residual, while additional samples were sent to Metro Vancouver’s laboratory and tested for turbidity, chlorine residual, heterotrophic and coliform bacteria counts, and E. coli.

In addition, tests for metals, vinyl chloride and disinfection byproducts were conducted at a number of sampling sites. Furthermore, detailed physical and chemical analyses were performed on the artesian well water sourced from Watershed Park.

The results showed Delta’s drinking water met all provincial requirements, and none of the 1,360 samples tested positive for E. coli.

The report noted that water quality has improved since the Seymour-Capilano Filtration Plant commenced operation in late 2009. As well, Metro Vancouver commissioned the Seymour-Capilano Twin Tunnels in 2015, enabling the filtration of the Capilano source water in addition to Seymour, resulting in lower turbidity readings, a consistent level of chlorine residual and reduced disinfection by-products.

The full City of Delta 2018 Drinking Water Quality Report can be found at delta.ca/docs/default-source/engineering/2018-delta-water-quality-report.pdf?sfvrsn=2.


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North Delta Reporter