11 ARES RMT A TR Lae TRH,

September 19, 1990

Walk, run
and wheel

THE NORTH Shore’s
Capilano and Seymour res-
ervoirs and the rest of the
Greater Vancouver Regional
District’s water supply
system needs a $478.5 mil-
ficn upgrade to bring Lower
Mainiand drinking water
quality up to national
standards, according to a
Greater Vancouver Water
District (GVWD) report.

By Elizabeth Collings
News Reporter

Released Monday. the report
points to several problems within
the Capilano, Seymour and Co-
quitham: watersheds and delivery
systems that could potentially lead
to serious health problems.

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Zemel Long paints
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64 pages

MENS photo Nell Lucente

AND THEY’RE off! Marilyn Adams fires the starting money for cancer research. An estimated 250 en-
gun for the North Shore Terry Fox Run on Sunday at thusiastic participants registered for the run/walk,
Ambleside in West Vancouver. The event — a 5-km raising $4,500 for cancer research. Adams, a 13-
short course for walkers or a 10-km course for run- year-old Sentinel Secondary student, has recovered
ners — saw all ages and types pitch in to raise from Hodgkins disease.

Water quality fails

Local reservoirs pose health hazard;
GVRD report wants $478m overhaul

and weight loss.

According to the report, com-
pliance by GVWD water with na-
tional water quality standards is
only 40 per cent.

And the report recommends a
Uhree-phase, four-staze plan to br-
ing the GVWD) system. which
serves 2.7 milion people in 17
muntipalities, up to acceptable
standards.

Potential health problems iden-
Ufied by the report from substan-
dard drinking water include a
possible outbreak of giardia cysts,
which can result in stich illnesses
as diarrhea and a water-borne
disease commonly known as

“beaver fever.’ Giarda cysts
which come from the feces of
animals living within the water-
sheds have been detected in the
water system,

The report: says current
treatment procedures would
prevent a giardia outbreak.

BIL Kimmett, director of en-
vironmental health at North Shore
Health, said that to the end of Ju-
ly the health department has had
$3 reported cases of giardia con-
tracted by North Shore residents
this year. Sypmtoms of the disease
inglude diuerhea, abdominal
cramps, a bloated feeling, fatigue

water
not

b)

“We're obviously concerned
about giardia because giardia is a
parasite. It tives off vour bady.’
Kimimets sid.

But he said the reported cases
of giardia were not necessarily
contracted on the North Shore.
Detection of the source of giardia
is difficult Decause the parasite
can be transmined from person-
to-person as well as through a
water SVSLUID,

Although chlorine can effective-
ly kill bacteria, it does not kill
giardia cysts, he said.

“Chiorine wouldn't kill the

cysts. There’s got to be a special
filtration system set up,’” Kimmett
said.

Oiher problems tucned up by
the two-vear study inelude the
presence of coliform bacteria in
municipal water distribution
systems and GVWD reservoirs.

The levels often surpass
recommended health standards,

In addition, the report states
that turbidity or cloudiness in the
GVWD water systent is too high
in the winter, and turbidity, par-
ticularly in the Capilano reservoir,
frequently exceeds acceptable
levels, Excessive turbidity can
teduce the ability of chlorine,
which is added to the water ay a
primary disinfectant, to kill
bacteria.

In addition, states

the report

See Report Page &