The boil water order at Saskatoon City Hospital is expected to remain in place until noon Saturday at the earliest, according to Saskatoon Health Region (SHR) officials.
A total of 74 non-urgent surgeries scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday have been postponed and more postponements are expected.
“Part of the provincial response or protocol is we are asked to delay elective surgeries, but we must attend to emergency surgeries,” Dr. Johnmark Opondo, SHR’s deputy medical health officer, said.
READ MORE: Saskatoon City Hospital under boil water advisory
An eight-foot corroded pipe near the hospital’s water intake system is believed to be the source of discoloured water seen Monday afternoon.
The pipe was replaced Tuesday afternoon and a floor-by-floor flush of the hospital’s water system happened Wednesday morning.
The affected water wasn’t unsafe, but didn’t meet Canadian health care standards, Opondo said.
“There’s no bacterial contamination, so that is good for us to hear because it shows that there was no external breach or any bacteria getting into our water system,” Opondo said.
“Test samples were taken after the flushing. Two consecutive negative results will be needed before the order is lifted, which won’t happen before Saturday at noon.”
Under the advisory, no tap water can be consumed from the building. Toilet use and hand washing are still permitted.
Bottled and potable water are being used until the order ends.
Going forward, a “monitoring process” will be put in place to proactively test the hospital’s water system.
“But as you can imagine, the number of piping in this facility itself is huge,” hospital site leader Karen Newman said.
The hospital remains open for all non-invasive procedures and appointments. Its emergency department is open as well.
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