Boil-water order issued for Rockwood Park area in Saint John

Infrastructure malfunction at reservoir may have affected water quality, city says

CBC News · Posted: Dec 10, 2020 12:00 PM AT Last Updated: December 10

he city of Saint John is asking close to 300 households in the Rockwood Park area to boil their water before drinking it or using it to cook or clean food.

In a news release Thursday, the city said an "infrastructure malfunction" prevented the Rockwood Park water reservoir from properly filling up. It noted Saint John Water crews were able to fix the problem, but that a boil-water order is put in place after any malfunction to make sure the issue didn't contaminate the water.

"Saint John Water will make every effort to notify customers as soon as the boil-water order has been lifted in the coming days," the city said.

The order applies to the following streets:

Anglin Crescent
Anglin Drive
Arrow Walk Road
Breen Lane
Burpee Avenue
Corkery Street
Cranston Avenue
Crows Nest Lane
Duncraggen Court
Gooderich Street
Hawthorne Avenue
Hawthorne Avenue Extension
Highwood Drive
Jack Street
Kiwanis Court
Kelly Lane
Kyle Lane
Lake Drive South
Matthew Lane
Mitchell Street
Mount Pleasant Avenue
Mount Pleasant Court
Parks Street
Parks Street Extension
Parkwood Avenue
Patricia Lane
Pidgeon Terrace
Rocky Terrace
Sandy Point Road
Somerset Street, civic numbers 245-259
Thornbrough Street
To make sure the water from the tap is safe, people living on the above-mentioned streets should bring the water to a rolling boil for at least one minute, the city advised in the news release.

"Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, brushing teeth, making ice, juice, coffee or tea, or washing vegetables that will not be cooked," the release said.

However, it's safe for people to take showers, bathe and use swimming pools in those areas. It's also safe to wash dishes in hot, soapy water and then air dry, as well as use a dishwasher.

If the water is contaminated and is ingested without boiling, people can experience diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms, the release said. This could be especially harmful to infants, young children, some elderly people and people with severely compromised immune systems.

If people experience any of these symptoms and they persist, they should seek medical advice.

"People at increased risk should seek advice" from their health-care provider about drinking water, the release said.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/boil-water-order-rockwood-park-malfunction-1.5835721