Moncton, New Brunswick has advised its residents, as well as those in the Dieppe and Riverview, that the presence of blue-green algae has been confirmed within the Turtle Creek watershed.

This is the second year in a row that the city has had to manage a blue-green algae outbreak within the watershed. The Turtle Creek reservoir has been the tri-community’s primary drinking water supply since 1962.

Although algae are present, there is currently no bloom.

“Our preference would be to try to deal with the issue in the watershed and try to prevent it from happening in future years, but we’re also looking at the potential treatment methods at the water treatment plant,” Nicole Taylor, Moncton’s director of utilities told the CBC.

The city’s water remains safe for drinking and all other regular activities such as bathing, cooking, and washing.

The City of Moncton is working with the Department of Health and the Department of Environment and Local Government. In addition, consultants in the field are studying various remediation options. The City of Dieppe and the Town of Riverview are also supporting the city’s efforts.

City staff continues to monitor the situation with daily water sampling and testing. Plans are in place to ensure the highest standards of water quality are maintained for our customers.  

The outbreak has also affected its secondary water source, the tower road reservoir.  Opened in 2014, it provides an additional 10 million cubic meters of drinking water supply to the communities of Moncton, Dieppe, and Riverview.

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