Health concerns about Hanover’s water

Western Bureau:

The Hanover Health Department is again expressing concern about the water quality in the parish's minor supply systems, which it says continues to show a lack of proper chlorination, among other health concerns.

Speaking at the recent monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation, Patricia Hall Patterson, the chief public health inspector for Hanover, said that the Health Department made checks at several of the 23 minor water-supply systems in the parish and found that they were not being properly chlorinated. That, she said, was in stark contrast to the National Water Commission's supply, which was at the required standard.

Hall Patterson first raised the issue at the March monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation and was adamant that the matter should be addressed in accordance with proper health standards. The Hanover Municipal Corporation is directly responsible for all minor water-supply systems in the parish.

"Several parish council (municipal corporations) supplies that were visited during the month were not treated, and we would like the council (corporation) to approve funding for chlorination of these supplies," stated the public health inspector.

"The supplies inspected include Cold Spring, Patty Hill, Haddington, Lethe, Flamstead, and Bamboo, along with the Success rainwater catchment," said Hall Patterson. "None of these had any chlorine residual readings at all, along with other concerns."

In response to the concerns raised by Hall Patterson, Lucea mayor Councillor Sheridan Samuels said that he was quite surprised by the findings of the health department. According to him, based on reports from a recent committee meeting of the corporation, chlorine had been bought by the corporation and the necessary treatment was being done at the various facilities.

The mayor gave the health department the assurance that the corporation would be doing everything in its power to bring all the minor water-supply systems in the parish up to the required standard. He added that the corporation would be more vigilant in its checks and balances with regard to the facilities in question.