REGINA - A recent W5 report on the use of asbestos cement pipes used for drinking water made waves at the Legislature on Monday.
Opposition critic Erica Ritchie asked Minister for Water Security Agency Jeremy Cockrill about the issue in Question Period in the wake of the W5 story that aired in March. The CTV News story had a heavy emphasis on Regina, noting the city had 531 km of asbestos cement pipes in the ground.
For their part the city of Regina has maintained that water testing has shown their water to be safe to drink and within the requirements, and the city had also indicated they would continue to follow Health Canada guidelines.
But the CTV report raised concerns about asbestos potentially entering the water supply through water main breaks, noting those have been increasing due to aging pipes.
“These reports have many people concerned and looking to the provincial government for oversight,” Ritchie said in the legislature Monday.
“To the Minister Responsible for the Water Security Agency, what is the provincial government’s plan to ensure adequate and appropriate testing standards for asbestos in Saskatchewan’s drinking water and for testing and monitoring going forward?
Cockrill responded that the use of asbestos concrete pipes “has been discontinued for many decades now.”
“I would remind the member opposite, replacement of these pipes, that’s a municipal responsibility, Mr. Speaker. And I would say that on this side of the House, this government has supported municipalities through a number of programs, through MEEP [municipal economic enhancement program], through ICIP [Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program], through municipal revenue sharing, which is going up by 13 per cent this next year. We’re going to continue to work with municipalities to support them with their infrastructure, Mr. Speaker.”
Ritchie followed up by pointing out the water issues that happened in Cockrill’s own riding in 2001 -- the cryptosporidium crisis in North Battleford.
“When people have concerns about that, this minister should have answers. The minister is from North Battleford. He should know how important issues like drinking water safety are to Saskatchewan people. Does the minister for the Water Security Agency not see any role for himself in ensuring there are no health concerns with asbestos in drinking water as reported in the W5 story?”
“That’s why the Water Security Agency was originally set up, Mr. Speaker, is to support municipalities in ensuring that they can have safe drinking water for their residents,” Cockrill responded.
He added that the Water Security Agency is “the regulator. We don’t actually run the municipal water systems, Mr. Speaker. We are the regulator, and we work with municipalities on an ongoing basis to ensure that water is safe to drink.”
Cockrill ended the exchange by pointing out that the “asbestos level noted by W5, approximately 300,000 fibres per 1 litre of water, is about 23 times lower that the US [United States] EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] standard.”
“We’re going to continue working with municipalities to support drinking water quality around the province,” Cockrill said.
