40 pages Approval of water disinfectant met with environmental protest THE GREATER Vancouver Regicnal District (GVRD) board voted 17-3 Wednesday to reject chloramine and approve chlorine as a sec- ondary disinfectant for Lower Mainland drinking water. The GVRD will also explore the use of chlorine alternatives such as ozona- tion and biofiltration as future secondary water treatments. By Chery! Ziola Contributing Writer But environmentalists and some GVRD board members opposed the addition of more chlorine to local drinking water and called for a halt te logging in the Capilano and Seymour watersheds. Paul George of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee said the GVRD is only considering “different brands of Band-Aids. They're not solving the problem at ils routs. We want the GVRD to let the tree roots cure the siltation problems. “Added disinfectant and a costly filtration system is unnecessary if nature is allawed ‘to de its thing’ and naturally purify the water.” Chlorine wouldn't be needed if logging was not permitted in the watersheds, he added. But board members said that chlorine will only be used until a better option is tested in the Lower Maialand’s water supply. The $1 billion cost of the see- ondary treatment project will add about $90 to the current average annual household water bill of $13G, raising it to $220, only $35 more than the cheapest secondary treatment option using chloramine. Secondary disinfection prevents bacterial growth in the water sys- tem: primary disinfection kills biae- teria and other waterborne contami- nants before the water gets into the distribution system. Amidst protesters waving plac- ards saying “No to chlorine” and “Chlorine makes people sick.” GVRD water committee chairman and Port Moody Mayor John Northey said the committee had agreed that much pilot testing and further research was needed before a move could be made to ozonation. But Port Coquitlam Mayor Len Traboulay, who voted against the addition of more chlerine to local water, disagreed, saying the board must “stop the logging (in the watersheds). Then use ozone... and filter.” He also asked why pilot testing was necessary when other jurisdic- tions were already using biofiltra- tion and ozone. Northey said ozonation must first be tested in the Lower Mainland’s water, becituse it reacts differently in different water sup- plys. GVRD water manager John Morse was asked after the meeting about environmentalists” claints that flushing the water supply regu- larly and replacing all the corroded pipes in the distribution system would eliminate a need for sec- ondary treatment. Morse discounted thal theory, saying that with about 8.000 kilometres (4.970 mi.) of pipes in the region. the cost would be astronomicat. West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager said be was satisfied with the board's decision. “The reasonable thing .. is to implement something that we know.” GYVRD staff will report back to the water committee in September about the ozone pilot testing. Index BY BUSINESS oe eee 17 B Classified ® Cocktails & Caviar 8 Comes. BB Cress word oo ee eee Fashion B Horoscopes @ Bob Hunter. . Weather Monday: mainty sunny. high 22 Cofow TEC Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Ayreemient Number 0087238 DESIGNER GAMES Local entrepreneurs “put” their best gume forward with creative lawn game, LIGHTEN UP Fragrange indusiry pioves towards fresher more affordable scents. NEWS photo Terry Peters WILDLIFE CONTROL officer Dennis Pemble holds a tranquilized cougar caught on Tuesday with the help of bloodhounds at Weymouth Place near Lynn Valley Road and the Trans-Canada Highway. The 150-ib. (68 kg) male adult cougar is believed to be the same animal spotted several times in the area during the past two weeks. It was seen once with a house cat in its mouth. The cougar was scheduled to be relocated. Speed te LI