Boil Water Advisory For Gravenhurst Could Be Lifted Midday Tuesday

Boil Water Advisory Remains in Effect for Gravenhurst Water Customers

A Boil Water Advisory (BWA) was issued on Saturday and remains in effect for Town of Gravenhurst water customers until further notice.

Water Testing Continues

As part of the Boil Water Advisory issued by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU), the District is required to sample water and submit consecutive water tests for a minimum of 48 hours before the Advisory can be lifted. Two sets of samples are required, and it takes 24 hours per sample – this is the fastest allowable time to expedite results.

The District is sampling water and meeting all requirements for testing to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act – due to the length of time required between samples, the District are anticipating the Advisory will be lifted midday on Tuesday.

A water truck with clean, fresh drinking water continues to be available and will be stationed at Canadian Tire in Gravenhurst on Talisman Drive daily from 9:00am – 4:00pm until the Boil Water Advisory has been lifted. If you need emergency support or immediate access to bottled water, we’re here to help. Please contact us at housingsupport@muskoka.on.ca or 705-645-2412.

A Community Comes Together

“The countless volunteers, local businesses, and organizations who continue to offer their support during this water emergency has been overwhelming,” said Julie Stevens, CAO at the District of Muskoka. “We recognize the significant impact this emergency has had on our community, and we are doing everything we can to get our system back to normal.”

On Saturday, the District worked with our partners to ensure clean, fresh drinking water was available – Canadian Tire quickly accommodated these needs by extending use of a heated bay for a water truck, so containers, jugs and bottles could be filled without freezing the valves on the unit.

The District would like to thank all community members and our media partners for continuing to share official updates from the District and direction from the SMDHU, and would like to encourage all property owners in Muskoka to download the Voyent Alert! app. We have seen a significant increase in the amount of registrations of our Voyent Alert! app this weekend – in times of crisis of any type, including water emergencies, this is the most accurate and timely tool you can have at your fingertips for the most recent information and direction from an official source.

Answers to Your Questions

Q: When will our water be safe to drink without boiling it first?

A: We are waiting for lab results on the final set of required water samples, as required by the SMDHU to lift the boil water order and advisory. We are asking water customers in Gravenhurst to prepare to boil water before consuming until the Order and advisory is lifted, which we are hopeful to occur midday on Tuesday. When the boil water order and advisory are lifted, we will communicate with you to advise on next steps like flushing your water lines prior to use.

Q: I need bottled water and have jugs to fill – where can I get fresh, clean drinking water?

A: Water trucks are stationed at Canadian Tire in Gravenhurst – bring your bottles, jugs and containers to be filled. A water truck will continue to be available at Canadian Tire in Gravenhurst until the Boil Water Advisory is lifted.

Q: What can I use the water for without boiling it first? 

A: A Boil Water Advisory is issued to ensure the water comes to a boil, before consuming. Activities such as laundry and bathing (where one doesn’t consume the water) are safe. Household dishwashers are generally safe to use if the water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees, or the dishwasher has a sanitizing cycle. Make sure all baby bottles are sanitized before use. Tap water can be used for watering household plants.

Q: What do I need to do at home, to prepare for the Boil Water Advisory to be lifted?

A: Continue to boil the water until you have received notice the Boil Water Advisory has been lifted. Instructions from the SMDHU and the District will be issued when the SMDHU lifts the Order.

Q: How did you notify water customers of the emergency?

A: The District, in partnership with the SMDHU notified water customers via a Voyent Alert!, the District’s emergency notification platform. If you have not yet subscribed to this essential tool, please visit www.muskoka.on.ca to learn how to install the App today.

In addition to local media outreach and social media updates, the District solicited volunteers to hand deliver letters to Gravenhurst water customers, offering an official update, and ensuring residents were aware of the situation. The SMDHU also has policies in place for notifying commercial establishments of their obligations to protect the community, while the Boil Water Advisory is in effect.

Q: How will we know when the Boil Water Advisory has been lifted and the water is safe to drink?

A: When the SMDHU lifts the Boil Water Advisory, the District will update the community immediately via the Voyent Alert! app. If you have not yet subscribed, visit the District’s website for more information at www.muskoka.on.ca or download the app immediately by visiting https://register.voyent-alert.com. The District will also issue a News Release, update the media and share the official news on the District’s social media channels, Facebook and Twitter. Commercial customers will be notified by the SMDHU.

Q: When can restaurants and food establishments re-open in Gravenhurst?

A: Owners and Operators of Food Premises in the Town of Gravenhurst on municipal drinking water system are reminded that while water pressure may be restored, it does not mean that the water is safe for use and shall not be used for food preparation.  Therefore, food premises that utilize water for food preparation are ordered to close, or are required to modify their business to only sell pre-packaged food items until which time the boil water order is lifted. The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit will communicate more information to food premises on the reopening of their businesses and actions to be taken once the boil water order is lifted. For more information see www.smdhu.org or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Q: Will there be an investigation into this emergency? What are the next steps?

A: We understand our community counts on us to deliver clean, fresh drinking water – and how significant water emergencies are. We recognize the inconvenience this causes our customers during their regular daily household routines, the impacts local business operations have experienced and how this situation influences the success of local events and community recreation programs.

The District is committed to examining all circumstances which cause service disruptions, including full investigations. Analyses and reviews of procedures during this emergency are already underway, as carried out with all significant service outages, and the District will report back on recommendations and actions.

Q: I know someone who cannot boil their water and needs access to fresh drinking water. Who do they contact?

A: We have volunteers ready to help. If you need help accessing water, please email housingsupports@muskoka.on.ca or call us at 705-645-2412. We have volunteers, community partners and organizations ready to support our community.

For more information on safe drinking water during a Boil Water Advisory see www.smdhu.org or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For information and updates, please visit www.muskoka.on.ca or to receive updates by email, subscribe to News Updates. Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.