Editorial: Moncton keeps water safe

Article content

Moncton city council was updated by staff in a committee-of-the-whole meeting Monday on progress of long-term plans to upgrade its water treatment plant with a final $20-million project that will protect all users from cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae.

The city’s linked reservoirs at Turtle Creek and the newer linked one at Tower Road provide about 50 million litres of water daily to residents of Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe. It’s hard to imagine such a huge amount but it illustrates why past councils were wise to greatly expand capacity. Dieppe and Riverview purchase water from Moncton on behalf of their citizens.

Moncton built a well-run water treatment plant in 1999, and cyanobacteria (harmful to humans and fatal to dogs and other animals that contact it) first showed up here in 2017 in recreational lakes. It sparked immediate concern and warnings to the public to avoid any waters where it was visible – and keep their dogs and kids safe.

The same time seven years ago, Moncton began quietly developing and implementing a two-phase plan to protect the public should cyanobacteria blooms appear in its reservoirs as still remains likely, eventually. It develops in hot, sunny conditions.

Phase one saw the treatment plant given a new system that meets all Health Canada guidelines. For extra assurance and the future, phase two has begun. Moncton is buying powerful, advanced filtering and treatment equipment, and a second treatment building for it will be built and in operation by March 2026. That’s foresight.