- Sunday, December 12, 1993 - North Shore News

owen water alert issued

Arsenic levels in subdivision water raise health concerns

A BULLETIN issued Monday by North Shore Health has
advised Bowen Island residents that local drinking water

contains high levels of arsenic.

Said Bowen Island part-time
resident Rob Knight, ‘Our home
is under construction, and if we
do find the arsenic levels exceed
the limit, we will usc an alternate
source of drinking water.’

He said the drinkability of
water from a new well was always
a gamble.

Bowen Island residents living in
the Queen Charlotte Heights area
on the east side of the island were
sent a public health bulletin Mon-
day stating that arsenic levels ex-
ceeded the Canadian Drinking
Water Quality levels.

North Shore Health stated in
the bulletin that ‘residents should
seek an alternate source of drink-
ing water, such as bottled water,
er from a neighbor who is not
within the area in question.*’

Arsenic levels as high as .275
mg/L (milligrams per litre) were
tecorded in the area.

The new Canadian Drinking

Water Quality Guideline for arse-
nic levels is .025 mg/L.
. The previously acceptable level
was .05 mg/L or lower, said Rick
Kwan, North Shore Health’s
senior public health inspector. — -

Average concentrations of arse-
nic in North American drinking
water are: below .010 mg/L, ac-
cording to North Shore Health.

Kwan ‘said approximately 86
houses are in the area outlined in

: Wonien arrested _
after car chase

TWO -WOMEN.. were arrested
following. a car chase that took
police from-Deep Cove in North
Vancouver, over the Second, Nar-
rows Bridge to Nanaimo Street.

Police were looking for
suspicious’ vehicles around the site
-of a/3.a.m. burglary when a van

. raced past. them. at high speed.

+» The chase ended downtown when
the van collided with a parked car. -

“Both vehicles were totalled. It was’

‘later discovered that. the van had:
been reported stolen.

Two juveniles were arrested at
the crash site. and’ charged with -
possession: of stolen property and
dangerous driving. |

Police have not yet determined

“whether the women were involved
‘in’ the break. and enter. that
‘prompted the chase. '

Sir Edmund Hillary,

weaning the T3, vata, ‘$<8.

By Anna Marie D'Angelo
News Reporter

the public health bulletin.

“The next step to do is try to
narrow down the area, because we
made a blanket statement as a
precautionary measure right
now," suid Kwan.

Arsenic is a poison. is long-
term consumption in low doses is
believed to increase a person's risk
of skin cancer.

North Shore Health was first
alerted to an elevated arsenic level
after a subdivision applicant did
the required water testing, said
Kwan. ‘

North Shore Health recently
took 17 water samples in the area.

The samples revealed arsenic
levels that exceeded guidelines at
“moderately high levels.”"

The arsenic results were received

Combine errands instead of using the car
several times a Gay, plan trips to reduce R

vehicle use.

the same day the public health
bulletin advisory was issued.

North Shore Health planned to
conduct more lusts yesterday,

“Our concern at this point is
the water supply to people. We
want to nail down who is af-
fected,”’ said Kwan.

Kwan said there was no infor-
imation as yet as to why arsenic
levels were high.

Arsenic occurs naturally in the
carth and, in certain conditions,
the chemical element may get into
water supplies, according to North
Shore Health.

Some residents have speculated
that recent upscale housing devel-
opment in the Queen Charlotte
Heights area may have contributed
to the arsenic problem.

Kwan said the health agency
was not aware of any cases of ar-
senic poisoning from the island’s
water.

Bowen Island drinking water, he
said, is obtained from a variety of
island sources, including wells,
creeks and streams.

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