Brome Lake shores up sewage system after Debby
By Ruby Pratka
Local Journalism Initiative
The Town of Brome Lake (TBL) is reinforcing its water and sewage networks and encouraging people to sign up for its emergency alert system to be better prepared for future weather events in the wake of Hurricane Debby.
The remnants of the storm, which blew through the region last week, knocked out power for thousands of residents and brought torrential rains which caused challenges for the water and sewer networks, TBL assistant director general Robert Daniel told the BCN. A boil-water advisory was put in place Aug. 11 and lifted four days later.
“We haven’t had a situation like this [a boil-water advisory and a widespread power outage] affecting the whole town for a long time,” Daniel said. “It’s a ministry obligation to put in place a boil-water advisory under certain conditions…in our case, two water pumps failed during the storm and we were unable to ensure sufficient water pressure, so as soon as that happens, we declare a boil-water advisory and start testing.”
Daniel explained that water samples were tested for fecal coliforms and other common contaminants, which could have leached into the water supply while the pressure was reduced. The advisory stayed in force while the town waited several days for lab results from two separate samples. Ultimately, no abnormalities were detected and the advisory was lifted.
“There will be more and more of these kinds of events, more often, with torrential rains saturating the water network and taking out our electricity,” Daniel said. In response, the municipality has equipped almost all of its sewage pumps with generators in the past week, and is working on a previously planned long-term project to modernize and reinforce the water network over the next two years.
Emergency alerts
Daniel encouraged residents to sign up for the town’s emergency alert system. The system, which has been in place for about two years, uses automated, bilingual landline phone calls, emails and text messages to warn residents about boil-water advisories and other emergency measures, and to inform them when emergency measures have been lifted. Residents can sign up on the town website or in person at the town hall.
The Canadian Red Cross advises people to have an emergency kit at the ready for hurricanes or severe storms, including at least a three-day supply of food, drinking water, baby or pet supplies if needed and any necessary medication; keep a battery-powered radio and batteries around to follow local news and updates; and be ready to evacuate if needed at a moment’s notice.