UPDATED: Moose Jaw issues drinking water advisory

Several hundred Moose Jaw residents may be boiling water until the end of the long weekend.

A Precautionary Drinking Water Advisory (PDWA) was issued for the southeast portion of Moose Jaw on Wednesday night.

The East Feeder Line was temporarily shut off due to depressurization as a result of the 1 Avenue SE bridge reconstruction.

The advisory affects the following areas:

• 100 – 200 blocks of, Home Street East, Lillooet Street East, Iroquois Street East and Elsom Street East
• 000 – 100, 200 block of Maple Street East
• Coteau Street 1st – 9th Avenue South East
• Dufferin Avenue
• 7th Avenue South East from Victoria Street to Coteau Street
• Victoria Street from Dufferin to 7th Avenue
• 9th Avenue SE Viaduct
• Pasqua water users

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“It’s affected about 300 properties in total,” Moose Jaw Communications Manager Craig Hemingway said. “We have sent the water samples to be tested. You need two clear tests before we can take everybody off the PDWA.”

The PDWA guidelines advise users to:

• Boil all water, used for drinking purposes, for at least one (1) minute, at a rolling boil, prior to use;
• Boil water to be used for other activities where it may be ingested, including:
  • brushing teeth or soaking false teeth;
  • washing fruits and vegetables;
  • food or drink which will not be subsequently heated; and
  • ice cubes;
• Not use the water for washing dishes, unless the water has been boiled or the dishes are sanitized in another fashion. Washed dishes and utensils can be soaked in a bleach water solution (approximately 2 tablespoons of bleach per gallon or 10 ml of bleach per liter of water) for at least two minutes after being washed to kill any bacteria which may be present.
  Note: Do not mix bleach with soaps or detergents.
• Not drink from any public drinking fountains supplied with water from the public water supply;
• Ensure that younger children and infants are sponge-bathed;
• Use an alternative water source known to be safe, if they do not wish to boil the water; and
• Consult with your physician if you have cuts or rashes that are severe before using the water.

Users do not need to boil water for other household purposes. Adults, adolescents and older children may shower but should avoid swallowing the water.

Many people in the affected area are taking the inconvenience in stride, with some saying they aren’t surprised considering the nearby construction.

“My wife put a big pot of water on the stove, and we had bottled water anyway- and a good filter system,” Resident Gordon Johnson said. “We’re not suffering at all.”

If residents have questions about the PDWA, they can contact the City of Moose Jaw at 306-694-4448.