Saint John water treatment plant expected to greatly reduce boil water orders

Construction of the East Side Water Treatment Plant in Saint John is well underway and officials say the new treatment facility will greatly decrease the number of boil orders issued in the city.

The water treatment update comes as a number of residents endure yet another boil water order.

READ MORE: Saint John holds open houses for new safe, clean drinking water project

That includes Champlain Heights School, where the principal says because of the frequency, bottled water is being trucked in and water fountains have been covered up.

“They provide us the water and the kids don’t drink the water out of the fountain,” said Kathy Young.”They’re pretty quick and we’re pretty quick to get the fountains closed.”

It’s expected boil orders will decrease significantly when the city’s safe clean drinking water project is complete at the end of 2018.

Saint John Mayor Don Darling took part in a tour of the facility Thursday, and says the current boil order points to the importance of the project.

“It’s going to be the equivalent of about a dollar a day when this project is done and we go to our new water rates,” Darling said.

“It’s the equivalent of a dollar a day but it’s so necessary for us to make this investment.”

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The mayor says the project is on time and on budget. Commissioning of this water treatment plant is expected to begin in late may of 2018.