Clear water is running through Verner taps again after localized manganese deposits were flushed through pipes feeding a limited number of streets.
But the rare winter occurrence reminded residents West Nipissing council is supposed to be looking into better options for a dependable source of drinking water – other than the Veuve River.
See: Verner's 'brown water' problem makes rare winter appearance
Manganese, a mineral the body uses in small amounts, isn’t toxic but the Veuve is rich in it and the sight and smell of the tainted water isn’t desirable. It’s usually more of an issue in warmer temperatures. West Nipissing sewer and water had success this summer using potassium permanganate to contour the manganese reaction.
Jay Barbeau, chief administrative officer, said council will soon receive an engineering report about the cost and issues related to connecting to the municipal supply in Sturgeon Falls.
“This winter situation had never presented itself in this manner in the past,” Barbeau said, explaining how manganese was found settled in a location affecting users in that area.
Flushing protocols doubled due to the incident, Barbeau said.
“We have implemented additional flushing protocols to ensure that all locations are cleaned out twice per year,” he said, adding the long-standing issue (there were major problems in 2019 and intermittent issues for decades).
“We continue to look at long-term strategies to address the persistent issues,” Barbeau said about drawing raw water out of the Veuve River.
“The permanent solution is a massive undertaking,” he said. “We have commissioned an engineering feasibility study with will be presented to council shortly.”
Dave Dale is a Local Journalism Reporter with BayToday.ca. LJI is funded by the Government of Canada.
