Saboteur Blamed For Contaminating B.C. Town’s Water

A saboteur is being blamed for poisoning the water supply of this northeastern British Columbia town.

Firefighters discovered Saturday that the water reservoir used by the 4,000 residents had been contaminated with a mixture of gasoline and solvents which had been poured down a manhole.

“This is just a horrendous act,” Mayor Frank Parker said Sunday. “It’s a serious, serious problem.”

It was the second attack on the water supply this summer. In May, someone drained the reservoir by opening a fire hydrant.

“We’ve got to be on the alert,” Parker said. “If you’ve got some crazies running around, there’s not a lot you can do about it.

“We’ve already got a water shortage, and now this.”

No one has been injured, but residents have been told to stop drinking, cooking and washing with tap water.

Drinking water has been made available from a private supplier and local wells.

Fire Chief Walt Lutsiak said it could take up to two weeks to drain, clean and refill the 416,000-gallon reservoir.

Until then, water will be trucked in.

Parker said several issues could have angered the saboteur: Fort Nelson has been growing rapidly in recent years; a wood-products plant is opening soon; the town is considering building a waste-recycling plant; some residents are pitted against the forestry companies; others are annoyed that a water supply system to outlying areas is being built.