1994 (en 48 pages Ticket to ride NORTH VANCOUVER RCMP Const. Wayne Knapman appears to be getting a plea Display Advertising 986-0511 TRIP QUIZ Chip-oul questionnaire polls readers” hivetile estsiation: spots eye ges SG THE BRODIE Popular bike race Hebd this sear at Alive Take NEWS photo Mike Wakefleld of “no contest” from nine-year-old Graeme Blair. The RCMP are currently issuing tickets for free Dairy Queen sundaes to bicyclists who wear helmets. NVD staff investigate 22-hour release of raw sewage into Deep Cove creek HUMAN ERROR was the likely cause of a 250,000-gallon raw sewage spill into Parkside Creek in Deep Cove earlier this month. By Kate Zimmerman ‘News Reporter According to a report by the North Vancouver District environmental protection officer, an employee may bave caused a small retention lank at the pumping station locuted at the corner of Covectilf and Banbury to overflow at about 1:30 p.m. on Friday. May 6. The sewage eventually made its Way through pipes and inte Parkside “Creek. “We first learned about it at | 1:30 a.m. Saturday (May 7).7 said Mel Kotk. “Tt how we came up with the (estimale of) 22 hours.” Kotyk does not know how much untreated sewage poured into the creek. The creck eventuily empties into the waters of Deep Cove, Rotvk said Meagan Armstrong. one of two wonten who have adepted the creek as oartbol the adopt-aestream proyrani, was tntp- ping fish for use atan environmental fair shut ed for later that day at Covecliff School when a neighbor pointed out that the water smelled. Noting that the creek water was also clauds, she called the district. The engineering department located and stopped the spill, Rotvk and a team of wark- ers then walked through the creek to fook for damage. “We found dead fish fron Covectiil school all the way down te the mouth.” he said. Sewage usually contains a high degree of ammonia and no oxygen: either of these con- ditions could have killed the fish. North Shore Health took sumples to cheek for fecal coliform bacteria, and on May 9 the results revealed that bacteria levels were high, Kotvk said. At that point, the engineering depart- ment set up barricades warning that a cleanup Was in progress dnd to stay away from the water, The areca receives its drinking water supply from the Sevmour and Capilano reser- voir. Later in the week. the department sent out a crew to cake the racks in the ereek to remove any lingering: nedtertal They then opened a fire hydrant. adjusted the foree of the chlorinated water in it, and mixed ina liq- nid called sodium thiosulphate to de-chlori- mate i That water was used to flush out the stream, said Rotvk. Tests by North Shore Health afterward determined that the bacteria counts were back to normal, Kotyk said suggestions by some local residents that chlorinated water wis used in the stream, causing the deaths of the fish, were false. He said no chlorinated or ehloraminated water was used in the clean- up. The GYRD took samples front Deep Cove after the spill took place and found bacteria levels low, be said. though be admitted the sewage hid obviously mide its way into the oeean, Residents were never officially informed of the spill. The first Karen Watson knew of it was Wednesday. May Tl, shen she saw drat dis- trict workers had cordoned off the stream, Seo Spill page § SAS EVERY DOOR ON TH SHORE SINCE 1969