Region of Queens Municipality boil-water order bubbles over 2 weeks and counting

Frustrations are bubbling overin Nova Scotia's Region of Queens Municipality as a boil-water advisory extends into a third week.

The order has been in place since Aug. 9 after a lightning strike damaged the municipality's water treatmentfacility and is expected to lastuntil Aug. 31 orlonger.

"We don't have an estimated restoration at this time. So what weare working is one week increments," Garrett Chetwynd, the acting water utility supervisor, told CBC News.

Chetwynd said the lightning strike affected water processing equipment which led to loss of chlorine disinfection in parts of the system.

"The system is quite wide and varying going as far down as Brooklyn, which is just outside of Liverpool and it takes a number of days to get water restored back to that area," he said.

"So getting the chlorine from the water treatment plant on Roy Turner Roaddown to Brooklyn takes some time. So we continue to monitor the system, our staff checking for those residuals and other parameters as required by Nova Scotia Environment."

'People are stressed'

Mayor Darlene Norman saysutility workers are doing all they can to get the boil order lifted. She said "other suppliers have come forward to help them" too.

"There's water in the pipes. You have water for flushing. You can boil. You can boil for consumption. I realize it's time consuming. People are stressed," Norman said.

As of Thursday, Norman said "acceptable chlorine levels" are being produced from the treatment plant. "We need to ensure that those levels are also at the extreme ends of the utility."

Extra work for local businesses

The boil order has made extra work for local businesses.

Melanie Perron, a co-owner of Hell Bay Brewing Company in Liverpool, said it's been challenging. She said they've had to boil gallons and gallons of water daily to make cocktails andbought bottledwater for customers and to make ice.

"It is very inconvenient to have to boil your water and we thought this would be resolved quite quickly and it seems to be taking a lot longer than what we had anticipated. I couldn't imagine owning a restaurant because I could imagine it's just so much worse for restaurants," Perron said.

More communication

While the municipality has posted updates on the water-boil advisory on its website and social media, Perron said more communication on it would be helpful.

"I think just from talking to a lot of customers who come in and they feel frustratedtoo, because they just want to know what's going on, like what's in the water. Should we be fearful?We just want answers. We just want to know exactly what's going on."