MACOUN — A lengthy precautionary drinking water advisory (PDWA) remains in effect in Macoun.
In an email to SaskToday, chief administrative officer Carmen Dodd-Vicary wrote that since discovering the turbidity issue in the village’s water treatment plant, council and staff have been working with multiple companies and organizations, as well as testing and adjusting the water plant, to determine the source of the increase.
Turbidity is a measure of how much the water's clarity is reduced due to suspended particles.
The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency has been actively involved, Dodd-Vicary said, and has been advised with every step of the process. She added the village has kept residents informed through updates and regular notifications, either distributed or posted on the Macoun Co-op community board and the village’s website.
“We are currently waiting for the final reports and results from Municipal Utilities after they performed a well cleaning last week. Once that report has been received and reviewed by council, a new update will be shared with residents to inform [them] of the findings and results of that work completed,” Dodd-Vicary wrote.
The precautionary drinking water advisory will remain in effect until the WSA reports otherwise, she said.
The village has never had a PDWA last this long, she added.
“This has been a challenge to research, test and try to determine the cause of the high turbidity, all of which are still being worked on.”
According to village documents, the matter began on Nov. 1, 2024, when the annual inspection of the waterworks, completed by the WSA, discovered the turbidimeter was not operating accurately. Village-treated water was found to be testing above the allowable turbidity limit.
Since then, meetings have been held to discuss the issue, and the village has taken a number of steps to monitor and lower turbidity levels.
Council recently hired Municipal Utilities to perform an inspection of the village water well, a process that had not occurred since the well was constructed almost 50 years ago. The inspection showed the casing is holding up with no cracks, leaks or rusting of the screening at the bottom, but there was significant organic buildup at the bottom of the well that is being drawn through the pump and into the water treatment plant.
The village has ruled out the underground cistern as the source of the turbidity increase.
As per the advisory, residents are asked to boil water for at least one minute before use, including for drinking, brushing teeth and washing fruits and vegetables. People should not drink from any public drinking faucets supplied by the village water system. They are also advised to use an alternate safe water source.
