Lanark Leeds & Grenville Health Unit
August 3, 2022

Re: Power Outages and Loss of Pressure

This year we have experienced some severe weather events that may have resulted in power outages that affect the operation of your drinking water system. As our climate continues to change we may experience an increase in severe
weather events at any time of year. We encourage you to be proactive and if possible to have a back-up generator to ensure you can continue to provide safe water for your users.

We would like to remind you that power outages and loss of pressure may compromise the safety of the drinking water in your system and are considered adverse events that must be reported to the health unit. The health unit provides24/7 coverage with a manager on call to receive these reports and provide direction on corrective actions.

If you experience a loss of power or pressure it is important to do the following, to ensure potentially unsafe water is not provided to the users of your system:

 Report the incident to the health unit and discuss corrective actions.
 Once power is restored check that all water treatment equipment is working properly.
 If the system is treated using chorine – take free available chlorine readings.
 Flush all the lines for 5 minutes to clear the lines.
 Take water samples and submit them for bacteriological testing to confirm it is safe.
 Record your actions in your log book.

We are here to help so please don’t hesitate to call.

Community Health Protection Department
Leeds Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit
458 Laurier Blvd., Brockville, ON K6V 7A3
Phone: 613-345-5685, 1-800-660-5853
Fax: 613-345-7148