Health Unit Lifts Boil Water Advisory For Gravenhurst

The Boil Water Advisory issued for the Town of Gravenhurst on November 27, 2021, has been lifted by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU). Laboratory test results have confirmed that the water is free from contamination and is safe to drink.

As a precaution, residents and businesses in the affected area should take the following steps before using their water:

1. Run all cold faucets for a minimum of five minutes. If the water does not run clear after five minutes, visit the District of Muskoka website https://www.muskoka.on.ca/en/live-and-play/Water-and-Wastewater.aspx# for more information.
2. Run drinking water fountains for a minimum of five minutes.
3. Drain and refill hot water heaters set below 45°C (113°F). Normal setting is 60°C (140°F)
4. Drain and flush all ice-making machines and soda fountain machines.
5. Flush, clean and sanitize appliances with water line connections (e.g., fridges with water and ice dispensers), following the manufacturer’s instructions
6. Dispose of any ice made since November 27, 2021
7. Large-volume users (for example, restaurants, retirement homes, hospitals and schools) may need to run cold water taps for a longer period of time on first use to ensure the water is not cloudy.Note: Please consult the manufacturer or owner’s manual for detailed instructions on how to flush and disinfect ice or soda fountain machines and how to restart water treatment devices.

Any facilities that were closed as a result of the advisory can now reopen after taking the necessary precautions.

For more information, visit www.smdhu.org or call Health Connection Monday to Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520, ext. 8811 to speak with a public health inspector.

Beow is the District of Muskoka press release:

Boil Water Advisory LIFTED for Gravenhurst Water Customers

Tuesday, November 30, 2021 (Gravenhurst, ON) – The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) has lifted the Boil Water Advisory for water customers in the Town of Gravenhurst.

The water is safe to consume. The water does not need to be boiled before drinking.  For more information, visit www.smdhu.org or call Health Connection Monday to Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520, ext. 8811 to speak with a public health inspector.  For instructions on what steps to take, please visit: https://www.simcoemuskokahealth.org/Promos/townofgravenhurstwater 

“On behalf of District Council, I would like to offer my sincerest apology for the significant impacts and inconvenience that the Gravenhurst community experienced,” said District Chair John Klinck. “We understand the effects this has had on regular daily household routines.  We also recognize the impacts on local business operations and the disruption to planned events and community recreation programs.  Thank you to residents, businesses and community groups for coming together to support each other.

“We understand our community has many questions about what happened,” said Julie Stevens, District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).  “We are committed to examining all circumstances and procedures related to this emergency, as we do with all significant service outages. We will continue to provide updates to the community on all recommendations and actions that result from this review.”

Thank You

The public response to this water emergency has been overwhelming.  We want to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to share our official updates.  Thank you to SMDHU and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) for providing direction and resources. Thank you to those who volunteered their time, efforts and resources to make sure our community was supported during this emergency. Thank you.

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