Sackville residents satisfied with water fix

It's taken 17 years but Bill and Jean Young say they can finally breathe a bit easier when they toss their white sheets and towels into the washing machine.
The Youngs, longtime owners of the Savoy Arms Bed and Breakfast on Bridge Street in downtown Sackville, say they've spent a lot of money over the years replacing the linens that have been damaged by the town's 'chocolate' water and are pleased that action has finally been taken to resolve the longstanding issues.
"The water is much better. . . it's certainly cleaner," says Jean, adding there's been a noticeable difference in her laundry over the past six months. "My whites are white now as opposed to brown."
Earlier this year, the town awarded Veolia Water Canada Inc. a seven-year contract to operate Sackville's water treatment plant. The move came following years of complaints from local residents and business owners fed up with the brown spurts of water coming from their taps that was causing staining of clothes, bathroom fixtures and dishes.
And with new provincial regulations now requiring certified operators to run municipal treatment plants, town council and staff turned to Veolia - the same company which operates Moncton's water treatment plant - in the hopes that it could provide the expertise needed to clean the iron and manganese out of the town's aging water system.
Since Veolia took over operation of the plant in June, the certified staff have already taken several steps to improve the town water, including critical equipment repairs as well as new pH level and rust corrosion control programs.
The caustic soda that is being used reduces corrosion in the distribution pipes and hot water tanks; while Aquamag is being used as a corrosion control inhibitor and limits the release of lead, copper and iron into the water.
Both are NSF-certified food grade chemicals and aren't expected to cause any harm to the potability of the water.
And although the Youngs say they are delighted they no longer have the stress of stained towels, they admit they are still unsure if the water is 100 per cent fit to drink.
On some days, particularly in the mornings, the chlorine smell is strong in the water and Jean says some guests have commented on the odor and have requested bottled water for drinking.
"We're certainly pleased they (town officials) took some action but we think there's still an issue with the smell."
On the other side of town, homeowners there are also confirming they have noticed a remarkable difference in their water since Veolia took over the treatment plant.
Richardson Street resident Janet Erskine says just last week she sent off a letter to Sackville's public works director George Woodburn to tell him that her water is much clearer than it has been in more than seven years.
Erskine and her husband were among the handful or Richardson Street residents who had written letters to members of town council last summer to voice their concerns over the brown spurts of water coming out of their taps, discoloring their clothes and fixtures.
"It used to stain the clothes regularly," she says.
Erskine explains, as well, that the bottles of tap water she leaves on her counter to rid it of some of the chlorine taste no longer gets coated with a brown residue which used to make the water look like apple juice.
She says she is pleased to have much cleaner drinking water coming out of her taps now.
"I'm very glad the water is tasting better."