University of Guelph researchers have found that the majority of drinking water advisories in First Nations communities across Canada are precautionary, and that installing real-time monitoring systems could reduce the number of these advisories by more than one-third.
University of Guelph researchers have found that the majority of drinking water advisories in First Nations communities across Canada are precautionary, and that installing real-time monitoring systems could reduce the number of these advisories by more than one-third.
The study has been making headlines with stories appearing on CTV News and in the Globe and Mail, National Post and Toronto Star.
Drinking water advisories are issued because of equipment malfunction, inadequate disinfection and high microbial counts, said School of Engineering professor Ed McBean, lead author of the study and Canada Research Chair in Water Supply Security.
“While many of the drinking water advisories are in place for long periods of time, they do not necessarily indicate unacceptable water quality,” said McBean, who worked on the study with Kerry Black, a former U of G PhD student and now a professor at the University of British Columbia. “Installing real-time monitoring systems would allow operators to identify issues and possibly make corrections or repairs very quickly, thereby reducing the number of precautionary-based drinking water advisories as well as the frequency and duration of all drinking water advisories.”
Continue reading at University of Guelph.
Image via Pixabay.
