Boil water order extended for Happy Valley-Goose Bay

A town-wide boil water advisory has been in place in Happy Valley Goose Bay since September 14th, and it isn't going to be lifted any time soon. On Wednesday, Five Wing Goose Bay announced that people should plan for the advisory to be in place until at least December. But the air base says that the advisory is being extended as a precautionary measure. We usually boil our water and put it in the fridge and keep it cool and stuff like that. But we do watch it, but this morning I never really looked it up, but I'm just hearing about it. Why do you always boil your water? It's a habit that we've developed since we've been in Goose Bay because the water, over the years, we've had a number of boil orders, and a couple times the water was cloudy and stuff like that, and they've had issues, so we just boil water. It's just something that we do. The original boil water advisory was issued because of cloudiness in the water, which can make water treatment less effective. It can also increase the risk of contaminants passing through the system. Five Wing Goose Bay does add that no contaminants have been detected so far. But all along, even though I knew about the advisory, we still used it. Like we used our Brita jug or boiled it a little bit longer for cooking. But it doesn't affect me personally. But I do know my mom as a senior with medical conditions, she buys water and it's a bit costly for seniors. Folks in Happy Valley Goose Bay are being encouraged by the base to bring water to a rapid rolling boil, but are being told that tap water can be used to shower, wash hands, and dishes. Five Wings says that planning efforts are ongoing for the early upgrades of the filtration and treatment systems, which would improve its reliability and reduce the likelihood of cloudiness-related advisories. But because of the age and complexity of the current system, the work will take time. Regan Burden, CBC News, Happy Valley Goose Bay.