+ hedee! . . + August 21, 1988 News 985-2131 Classified 986-6222 Distributia on 986-1337 68 pupes 25¢ SUM ER SLURPING FOUR-YEAR-OLD T.J. Balbaki bites into a juicy slice of watermelon on a recent | sunny afternoon in Victoria Park in the City of North Vancouver. AGE 53 quest A FLEDGLI ione s environment group has raised local fears that the North Shore's reservoirs are contaminated with a host of carcinogenic industrial chemicals. But North Shore Health Department and Greater Van- couver Water District (GVWD) of- ficials say water in both local res- ervoirs is good quality and virtual- ly contaminant free. The B.C. Safe Water Assacia- tion (BCSWA) recently distributed ipproximately S00 cards in West Vancouver advising GVWD water subscribers thar pesticides, her- bicides, detergents, chlorine and other ‘compounds known to be carcinogenic have been found in municipal water systems’. The cards maintain the chemi- cals and accempanying potential health problems can be eliminated with ‘‘point-of-use’’ activated car- bon water filters, BCSWA) spokesman Adrian Laurence said his association is primarily concerned with the chlo- rine in) North Shore drinking water. “Chlorine is now related to cancer causing,’’ he said. ‘lt has to be added to the water, but it does not have to be consumed."’ He cited a recent U.S. study conducted by consumer advocate Ralph Nader that found a 44 per cent higher cancer rate in people who drink heavily chlorinated water. But Dr. Brian O'Connor, the North Shore's chief medical health officer, said he was not aware of any information connecting water chlorination with cancer, Laurence said North American municipal water systems do not have the ability to remove the growing umounts of industrial chemicals and pesticides Jeaching into fresh water supplies. “We don't want to create the impression that we are at a crisis point now,”’ he said, ‘‘but in the near future we could be. When people are getting nervous about herbicide spraying in their yards, I think they should be concerned about what is in the water they are drinking.” Laurence said BCSWA has had over 100 calls since its cards were distributed in West Vaneouver about two weeks avo. er aapadaiit st By TIMOTHY RE SHA ws Reporter He added that his association, which was formed a few weeks ago and has 12 members, is a non- profit organization. But Laurence himself represents tc NORTH Shore senior public health inspector Rick Kwan «The quality of our water is one of the best in the world." National Safety Associates of Memphis, Tennessee, which mar- kets an activated carbon water filter system that retails for $239. Rick Kwan, the North Shore's senior public health inspector, said bacteria growth in filters not kept scrupulously clean poses a greater health risk to people than the chemicals the devices purportedly remove, He said Capilano and Seymour reservoir water is free of con- tamination from the pollutants outlined in the BCSWA eard. “The quality of our water is one of the best in the world,’ Kwan said. GVWD engineers monitor all drinking water daily, and intensive tests for such pesticides as 2,4-1 and DDT are conducted quarterly. See Chiorine Page 3