Drinking water

The CRD watershed tour explores the surrounding forests and Rithet Creek – the main tributary to Sooke Lake Reservoir. (Courtesy CRD)

Greater Victoria tap water on tour from source to table

Capital Regional District Get to Know Your H2O tours return

 

Patty Hajdu rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Friday, March 25, 2022. The Indigenous services minister wants to be able to lift remaining long-term drinking water advisories by 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

Feds hope long-term boil water advisories lifted by 2025, end of Liberal-NDP deal

Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu has declined to put a firm deadline on the commitment

 

Victoria resident and ultra-marathoner Veronique Bourbeau wants to use her gift for running to give back. She hopes to provide safe drinking water to villages throughout Africa during her fundraising the length of the continent. (Jane Skrypnek/News Staff)

Victoria woman aims to provide safe water, set world record with trans-African run

Veronique Bourbeau plans to run 13,000 kilometres over the course of a year

 

Nick Leslie, the owner of South Island Water, was working 18 hour days delivering water to people in communities across the Island during last summer's drought. (Bailey Moreton - Sooke News Mirror)

Sooke trucked water company looking to expand, prepare for future droughts

Owner Nick Leslie says he hopes to have 15 trucks within five years

Nick Leslie, the owner of South Island Water, was working 18 hour days delivering water to people in communities across the Island during last summer's drought. (Bailey Moreton - Sooke News Mirror)
Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre staff members fill water jugs at the Sylvia Grinnell River, just outside Iqaluit, in an undated handout photo. The group has been delivering water to homes and organizations that may not have their own transportation, after the city warned last week its tap water was contaminated with fuel. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Rachel Blais, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Group delivers water to people without cars after fuel contaminates pipes in Iqaluit

Tap water can still be used for bathing, showering, laundry and washing dishes

Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre staff members fill water jugs at the Sylvia Grinnell River, just outside Iqaluit, in an undated handout photo. The group has been delivering water to homes and organizations that may not have their own transportation, after the city warned last week its tap water was contaminated with fuel. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Rachel Blais, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Residents line up to fill containers with potable water in Iqaluit, Nunavut on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. The Nunavut government has declared a 14-day state of emergency in Iqaluit after water in the capital was deemed undrinkable and potentially tainted with petroleum. The first shipment of potable water for residents also arrived by plane, with more expected to be delivered in the coming days. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Emma Tranter

Nunavut declares emergency in Iqaluit, city receives first shipment of potable water

Residents told not to drink the tap water after a fuel smell was detected at treatment plant

Residents line up to fill containers with potable water in Iqaluit, Nunavut on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. The Nunavut government has declared a 14-day state of emergency in Iqaluit after water in the capital was deemed undrinkable and potentially tainted with petroleum. The first shipment of potable water for residents also arrived by plane, with more expected to be delivered in the coming days. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Emma Tranter
Town of Port McNeill Community Planning Facebook photo

Month-long boil water advisory finally over in Port McNeill

Island Health officially lifted Aug. 11 order over E. Coli concerns on Sept. 22

Town of Port McNeill Community Planning Facebook photo
Stewart Redsky, former chief of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, walks past one week's worth of 20 litre water bottles in the community's water storage room on Feb. 25, 2015. The First Nation is now welcoming clean, running water for the first time in nearly 25 years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

‘Fought hard for this’: Decades-old water advisory lifted for Ontario First Nation

Boil-water advisory for Shoal Lake 40 was issued in 1998 and was one of the longest in Canada

Stewart Redsky, former chief of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, walks past one week's worth of 20 litre water bottles in the community's water storage room on Feb. 25, 2015. The First Nation is now welcoming clean, running water for the first time in nearly 25 years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
Semiahmoo First Nation Councillor Joanne Charles and former Chief Willard Cook share a celebratory hug at a July 28 event marking the lifting of the boil water advisory on Semiahmoo lands. (Alex Browne photo)

‘Canada has to step up’ says federal Indigenous minister during B.C. stop

Much work remains to be done, Marc Miller acknowledges

Semiahmoo First Nation Councillor Joanne Charles and former Chief Willard Cook share a celebratory hug at a July 28 event marking the lifting of the boil water advisory on Semiahmoo lands. (Alex Browne photo)
University of Victoria researchers and a Georgia Institute of Technology chemical engineer are part of a team developing an arsenic-in-water detector that is compatible with cell phones. (Black Press Media file photo)

University of Victoria collaborates with Georgia researcher on cellphone arsenic tester

Invention could bring single-use tests from $20 to pennies while avoiding harmful chemicals

University of Victoria researchers and a Georgia Institute of Technology chemical engineer are part of a team developing an arsenic-in-water detector that is compatible with cell phones. (Black Press Media file photo)
Miranda Aloma (with dog Sherlock) stands in front of what she jokingly calls her water tank ghetto. She has already used up the auxiliary water she’d reserved in the spring, and is relying on water deliveries earlier than she ever has before. Three tanks in the back are not-potable; she rigs up hoses and buckets and uses that water for plants. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)

Sooke residents say rock blasting is impacting water wells; Ministry points to dry weather

‘This isn’t my first dry year. I’ve never had to order water in June. That’s not normal.’

Miranda Aloma (with dog Sherlock) stands in front of what she jokingly calls her water tank ghetto. She has already used up the auxiliary water she’d reserved in the spring, and is relying on water deliveries earlier than she ever has before. Three tanks in the back are not-potable; she rigs up hoses and buckets and uses that water for plants. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
UBC professor Madjid Mohseni and Kluskus water operator Tony Baptiste enjoy a glass of water. (UBC Submitted Photo)

‘Too bets`huna: We live by water’ — Remote village celebrates return of drinking water after 20 years

People living in the Lhoosk’uz Dené village will no longer be bringing in bottled water from Quesnel

UBC professor Madjid Mohseni and Kluskus water operator Tony Baptiste enjoy a glass of water. (UBC Submitted Photo)
The Capital Regional District has lifted the boil water advisory for Port Renfrew, but the advisory for East Sooke remains in effect. (Black Press Media File)

Boil water advisory lifted for Port Renfrew, still in effect for East Sooke

The well system in Port Renfrew was flushed and deemed safe

The Capital Regional District has lifted the boil water advisory for Port Renfrew, but the advisory for East Sooke remains in effect. (Black Press Media File)
The midnight sun shines over the ice-covered waters near Resolute Bay at 1:30 am as seen from the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Louis S. St-Laurent Saturday, July 12, 2008. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Canada has 20% of the world’s freshwater reserves — this is how to protect it

Researchers suggest the need for a Canada Water Agency dedicated to water management across the country

  • May 1, 2021
The midnight sun shines over the ice-covered waters near Resolute Bay at 1:30 am as seen from the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Louis S. St-Laurent Saturday, July 12, 2008. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
The Capital Regional District has issued a boil water advisory for the Wilderness Mountain Water Service Area in East Sooke. (Katja Just - Pixabay.com)

Boil water advisory issued in East Sooke

It’s better to boil and be safe than sorry you didn’t. The…

The Capital Regional District has issued a boil water advisory for the Wilderness Mountain Water Service Area in East Sooke. (Katja Just - Pixabay.com)
John Boros, of City of Surrey water operations turns on two underground roadside taps last December - one for potable water and one for emergency services - marking the completion of the long-awaited connection between SFN and the Surrey water supply. (File photo)

Semiahmoo First Nation tap water safe to drink again, as 16-year boil water advisory is lifted

New distribution system, connected to Surrey water supply, passes safety testing

John Boros, of City of Surrey water operations turns on two underground roadside taps last December - one for potable water and one for emergency services - marking the completion of the long-awaited connection between SFN and the Surrey water supply. (File photo)
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller responds to a reporters question during a news conference, Wednesday, February 24, 2021 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Ottawa won’t set new deadline for providing clean water in First Nations communities

There are still 38 First Nations communities where the water isn’t considered safe to drink

Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller responds to a reporters question during a news conference, Wednesday, February 24, 2021 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Sooke Lake Reservoir, shown here, is the primary storage site for Greater Victoria’s drinking water supply. The Capital Regional District just purchased a property on the north edge of the water supply area to help further protect the supply. (Photo courtesy CRD)

CRD acquires 58.7-hectare watershed to further protect Greater Victoria drinking water supply

Forested area near Grant Lake is part of the Cowichan Valley Regional District

Sooke Lake Reservoir, shown here, is the primary storage site for Greater Victoria’s drinking water supply. The Capital Regional District just purchased a property on the north edge of the water supply area to help further protect the supply. (Photo courtesy CRD)
The Blue Creek restoration in British Columbia is shown in this undated handout photo. Spotty research and inconsistent monitoring has made it impossible to evaluate the health of most Canadian watersheds, a new study has found. “It’s still largely unknown,” said Elizabeth Hendricks of the World Wildlife Fund, which has just released its second evaluation of the condition of Canada’s freshwater environments. (WWF Canada, Eden Toth)

Data gaps prevent assessment of most Canadian watersheds: WWF report

There’s enough known about 67 of Canada’s 167 watersheds to assess how well they’re standing up

The Blue Creek restoration in British Columbia is shown in this undated handout photo. Spotty research and inconsistent monitoring has made it impossible to evaluate the health of most Canadian watersheds, a new study has found. “It’s still largely unknown,” said Elizabeth Hendricks of the World Wildlife Fund, which has just released its second evaluation of the condition of Canada’s freshwater environments. (WWF Canada, Eden Toth)
Image: The Canadian Press

Nestle Canada selling bottled water business to local family-owned company

The Pure Life bottled water business is being sold to Ice River Springs

Image: The Canadian Press