Region working to iron out Mount Albert's rusty water problem

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 10, 2019
Simon Martin

Imagine filling up your bathtub with rusty-looking water and accepting it as normal. That’s what happened to Mount Albert resident Karen Toulouse earlier this month. The worst-kept secret in Mount Albert is the discoloured water.

When Toulouse posted the video to a local Mount Albert Facebook group, the response was: that’s just Mount Albert water.

“I have been here for 9 years and that’s the way it has been,” she said. “I don’t know what causes it.”

Toulouse had to run the water an hour before it ran clear. While Toulouse said that many of her neighbours have purchased expensive filtration systems, she said she’s not going to spend that kind of money when she’s already forking over money for the ever-increasing water bill. She said the water can turn her white towels yellow. “I think I’m going to have a nice relaxing bath and this happens. It’s pretty frustrating,” she said.

Local resident Dave Romano has voiced his concerns about the quality of the water to the Town of East Gwillimbury and to York Region. “There is a lot of iron in the water in Mount Albert. It has a reddish tinge to it,” he said.

Romano has a good fridge filter and really good water softener and said he changes his water filter every two months. “I don’t think the water is acceptable. What are you really paying for?” he said.

Lars Johannesen moved to Mount Albert a year ago and was surprised by the handful of times the colour of his water turned. He bought a water filter jug but wondered why water delivery charges were so high compared to Stoney Creek where he used to live.

Local resident Jessie Evans said she usually has to refill the tub for her son because the water is initially reddish brown.

Joe Mauro moved into the new Averton subdivision three years ago and said yellow water is the norm. “Weekly rust scrubbing of toilets and sinks is a regular routine,” he said.

It’s a similar experience for Mount Albert resident Shannon McKiernan who said the buildup from the water in the bathroom is never ending causing the toilets to rust. “Our water is very often discoloured,” she said.

Luis Carvalho, senior project manager for York Region said the region continuously monitors water quality to ensure compliance with standards.

According to Carvalho, the brown appearance of the water is caused by naturally occurring iron commonly found in groundwater. The water continues to meet regulatory requirements and remains safe to consume.

To mitigate the effect, the region treats well water with sodium silicate to reduce iron precipitation, but Carvalho said water age, temperature and other factors influence effectiveness.

The region initiated a water and environmental assessment earlier this year to optimize water supply transmission and improve water quality aesthetic parameters.

The aesthetically non-pleasing water in Mount Albert has long been known about, Ward 3 Coun. Scott Crone said. While the water is clearly safe to drink, Crone said he is happy the region is looking at improving the water. “This cannot be fixed fast enough for me,” he said. “It has been too long.”

While Toulouse knows the water is safe to drink, she uses a water dispenser anyway. She is walking distance from the water tower. “Everyone is used to it,” she said. ”That’s just Mount Albert water.”

The region has set up a webpage for residents to give feedback and get project updates. For more information visit york.ca/ca.