SouthShoreNow.ca

John Cunningham
Lighthouse staff

 HEBBVILLE - Deputy Premier Don Downe said Monday he will try again to find a solution to concerns of Hebbville residents about the planned release of clarified backwash water from the town's planned water treatment plant.

 He said he would arrange a meeting between representatives of the Town of Bridgewater, its Public Service Commission, Lunenburg municipality and residents of Hebbville to see what options might be available for release of the clarified water which was to be released into a swampy area leading into the Fancy Lake watershed system.

 Mr. Downe, who is MLA for Lunenburg west, said residents living along the water system presented their views on the plan Sunday night in a "very professional and sincere way.

 "People by and large were polite," he said. "Their concerns are very real to them."

 Most concerns about the release of the clarified water centre about chemical residues that they feared might end up in the water system as a result of the water treatment process. Aluminum, resulting from the use of alum, and chloroforms, from the use of chlorine, are among key concerns.

 Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's disease and chloroforms are linked to bladder cancer, Carol Hutton, outgoing president of the Hebbville Village Commission has said repeatedly during the campaign against the wastewater release.

 Mr. Downe was commenting in the wake of a second Sunday night meeting called by the Hebbville Village Commission. About 120 people attended.

 Murray Barkhouse, a village commissioner, said he was "hopeful" something might come out of the meeting with the town and municipal officials and the PSC. "There are alternatives but whether the town would be willing to agree to them, I don't know."

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Jun 9, 1999

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