A boil water advisory that lasted more than two days and affected 200,000 customers in the Halifax area was lifted Thursday morning.
The advisory affected people in Beaver Bank, Middle and Lower Sackville, Upper Hammonds Plains, Bedford, Fall River, Windsor Junction, Halifax, Timberlea, Spreefield, Waverley and Herring Cove.
In a news release Thursday morning, Halifax Water said residents in those communities can resume consuming their tap water by following certain steps.
The utility said that refrigerators or other appliances that store water should be flushed for 10 minutes, and that boiling water in ice makers or ice cube trays should be discarded during the advisory.
Halifax Water said it is continuously monitoring the system and has collected the necessary samples from the provincial environment department and medical officer of health.
The advisory was put in place early Tuesday morning Following a planned power outage by Nova Scotia Power that caused power problems at the Pokwoke Lake drinking water treatment facility.
The water was treated, but lacked chlorine disinfection for about 30 minutes. The blockage allowed a limited amount of chlorinated water to enter the system.
The adviser forced the business and healthcare facility to pivot for the second time in seven months. Power problems at the same facility last July prompted a two-day boil water advisory for the same customers.
Some food establishments were closed or offering reduced menus. Nova Scotia Health has had to reschedule 220 non-urgent procedures.
Halifax Water has requested that the Nova Scotia Utilities and Review Board submit an investigation report by Feb. 4.
Halifax Water said the advisory, which first went into effect Tuesday, will remain in place until further notice. Some are questioning the use of emergency alerts. Selina Elders has a story.
The report will include a review of what happened and recommendations to ensure it doesn't happen again. It will be shared with the province, the Halifax Water Board of Commissioners and the Halifax Regional Council.
Halifax Water spokeswoman Brittany Smith said no other details about the incident would be shared until a report is submitted.
“This report, which will be publicly available, provides insight into many of the questions raised, including what happened and how it can be prevented in the future,” Smith said in an emailed statement.
“Halifax Water would like to apologize for this significant incident and the impact it has had on people's lives. Once again, we would like to thank our customers for their patience, and we are committed to improving our services in the future.”
