Health unit ends boil water advisory in Greater Sudbury

While new testing of the water supply in Greater Sudbury came back negative for bacteria, a second test must be completed Friday before the all-clear is given.

Public Health Sudbury & Districts declared an end to the boil water advisory in Greater Sudbury on Friday evening.

The advisory was declared May 6 for residents in New Sudbury, Sudbury, parts of Garson, and Falconbridge.

“We recognize this situation was difficult and disruptive for residents, businesses, schools and community organizations,” Dr. Emily Groot, associate medical officer of health, said in a news release.

“We would like to thank everyone for their cooperation and understanding … While challenging, this situation also demonstrates that the routine monitoring and response systems worked as intended. Potential concerns were identified early, and a boil water advisory was issued to protect approximately 90,000 residents.”

The health unit issued the advisory after routine drinking water monitoring detected coliform bacteria in samples.

That was a sign that “the drinking water supply may have been vulnerable to contamination,” the release said.

“This early detection through ongoing surveillance is a key function of public health monitoring systems designed to identify potential risks before they result in illness. Although the underlying cause of the initial adverse water results has not yet been identified, two consecutive sets of water samples have since returned with no adverse results, indicating that the water supply is now safe and that the water treatment and distribution systems are operating properly.”

More samples being tested

As a precaution, more water samples were submitted to Public Health Ontario laboratories, with results expected May 9.

“Based on the results received to date, Public Health does not anticipate any issues,” the release said.

“If there are any unexpected findings, the public will be notified promptly.”

While the cause is still being investigated, there is “no evidence of ongoing concerns in the drinking water system,” the health unit added.

“This event reinforces the importance of sustained public health monitoring and response systems as a critical safeguard for safe drinking water and community health.”

With the advisory now lifted, residents should run cold water faucets for five minutes or until the water runs clear.

Large-volume users may need to run cold water taps longer on first use. Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.

Drain and refill hot water heaters set below 45°C.

“Discard water filters that were used during the advisory and replace with new filters, cartridges and reverse osmosis membranes,” the release said.

“Discard the first three batches of ice produced in built-in refrigerator ice-making machines.”

Separate instructions for restaurants and other food operators can be found here.

For more information, call Public Health from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1-705-522-9200, ext. 464, toll-free 1-866-522-9200 or click here.