After a tremendous show of interest by Islanders in having their drinking water tested, the Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry has added two new opportunities for water testing.
Testing clinics will be offered at the PEI Provincial Home Show at the Charlottetown Civic Centre, April 4 to 6, and at the Summerside Showcase at the Marine Terminal Transit Shed in Summerside, April 19 and 20.
Since November, nearly 2500 Island households have had their water tested at 11 clinics held across Prince Edward Island. The sites included Souris, Pooles Corner, New London, Elmsdale, Kinkora, Murray River, Fort Augustus, Covehead, Miscouche, Richmond and Hampshire. The work of volunteer watershed groups has been instrumental in promoting and facilitating the clinics.
Anyone wishing to have their water tested is to bring one cup of water from their well to the clinic site and it will be tested, at no charge, for its nitrate level.
Six percent of the samples to date exceeded the Health Canada Canadian Drinking Water Guideline for Nitrates. The safe level of nitrates in drinking water is 10 milligrams per one liter (10mg/L) of water. An additional 12 per cent of samples were advised to retest their water after testing showed eight mg/L or more of nitrate in the water sample .
Water testing was an early recommendation by the Commission on Nitrates in Groundwater chaired by the Honourable Armand DesRoches. The Commission will report to the Premier by June 2008.