WINNIPEG — Brown water is still plaguing many parts of the city.
On Thursday it ruined hundreds of dollars worth of the Hendrickson family’s clothes.
“I pay for my water and I expect to be able to wash my stuff in my home and have no problems,” said Chelsea Hendrickson, who unknowingly washed two loads of her children’s clothes in brown water in her South St. Vital home.
Discoloured water has plagued all areas of Winnipeg since spring..
In the first three weeks of November, the city’s 311 phone service received 231 calls about brown water. In the same span in October, there were 516 calls.
“That is what we heard our administration said, that it was a summer problem,” said Charleswood Coun. Paula Havixbeck. “It would seem if there are some incidents of it, then it’s not truly a summer problem.”
A report on the cause is expected at the end of the year.
Mayor Sam Katz believes aging infrastructure is part of the problem and fixing it could cost residents more every time they turn on the tap.
“It is something that has to be done,” Katz said about infrastructure upgrades. “It is going to be done over a period of time and depending how far we go, it will certainly impact our utility rates.”
Katz said it is important to make sure Winnipeggers have access to clean water.
“If and when we have specific projects, the money has to come from somewhere, but we will determine that down the road and quite often it is a utility and they get their revenue through charges,” said Katz.
Paying more for water would add insult to injury for Hendrickson.
“We are already paying for something that is completely not satisfactory,” she said. “Now to charge us more for something that is gross is mind-blowing.”
Hendrickson will file a compensation claim for the ruined clothes, but isn’t optimistic she’ll get her money back.
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