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Quality
Colour and
turbidity
Colour and
turbidity are two water quality parameters that detract from the
appearance of water making it unpleasing to drink for aesthetic
reasons. Unfortunately, both are common problems associated with
SEKID’s surface water supply.
Put simply,
colour is organic material that has dissolved into solution, while
turbidity consists of tiny particles suspended in the water column.
If a glass of water were left on the counter overnight, in the
morning the material causing turbidity would have settled to the
bottom of the glass, while the colour would remain as before.
With the
exception of the Hall Road area, which receives well water, the
major water supply for the district is McCulloch Reservoir. This
reservoir is located to the northeast of Little White Mountain at
the 1,260m (4,134ft.) elevation. The watershed is about 65 km2 (25
mile2) and heavily laden with organic material, including large peat
meadows, forests and wetlands.
It is the organic
material in the watershed that causes both colour and turbidity.
While these water quality problems are present at low levels for
most of the year, they are particularly bad during spring runoff.
This is caused by high flows from the lower elevation snow pack
flowing into Hydraulic Creek (where our intake is located) The
melting snow causes the creek to rise and wash tiny particles of
clay, silt, organic and inorganic matter, plankton, and other
microscopic organisms into the district’s intake. The smaller
particles pass through our screens, are disinfected with chlorine,
and enter the distribution system.
Turbidity is a
critical parameter in drinking water because bacteria, viruses and
parasites can attach themselves to the suspended particles. In
addition, particles in turbid water can interfere with disinfection
by shielding contaminants from the disinfectant.
Our customers need
to be aware that SEKID provides only a single form of water
treatment to our surface water supply. All our surface water is
treated with chlorine and this provides 4 log protection against
viruses (99.99%), 3 log protection (99.9%) against the protozoa
that cause giardasis (beaver fever), and complete elimination of
bacteria under normal operating conditions.
The SEKID surface water system does not provide protection against
the protozoa that causes cryptosporidiosis. We advise anyone
with a compromised immune system to not drink water originating from
our surface water system. This includes all areas of the District
except for the Hall Road Area, which receives well water.
Many residents in
the district choose to install in-home treatment devices to remove
turbidity and colour for aesthetic reasons. If you are considering
buying one of these units, it is recommended you explore the options
(and products) carefully before deciding what best suits your needs.
There are a wide variety of venders in the in-home water treatment
business and careful research and checking of references before
purchasing any treatment device will help to insure satisfaction. If
you do choose to install a treatment system, follow the installation
and maintenance directions carefully. Poorly maintained units can
actually pose health risks.
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