Dear PUC: Would you bathe your children in brown water?

SooToday.com received the following letter from faithful reader and fed up PUC customer, Skye Burke, regarding the recent issues with the city's drinking water.

She forwarded the letter to members of City Council, Sault Ste. Marie PUC, and the Algoma Public Health Unit.

Although she has been contacted by a number of City Councillors, she has yet to hear back from PUC representatives.

"I think the citizens of Sault Ste. Marie deserve better customer service from our PUC, and it is time that the citizens in the east end demand better treatment and a resolution to this problem," she wrote to us.

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Dear Members of City Council, Sault Ste. Marie PUC and Algoma Public Health:

I have tried to remain patient, understanding and cooperative with regards to the water distribution system and brown discolouration that continues to arise in the East End; however after Wednesday evening I have reached my level of tolerance.

Continually being told that a private fire hydrant or some person filling their swimming pool, a water main break or a recent power outage has “stirred up pre-existing sediment that have been collecting for many years due to internal corrosion of cast iron pipes” is NO LONGER a respectable or viable excuse for brown water discolouration.

As I continue to watch my City Sewage charge and Basic Service Charge increase year after year I should not have to feel like I live in a third world country where I need to monitor my water colour each and every time I feel the need to turn on my tap, run a load of laundry or draw a bath for my children.

PUC may state that the water remains safe to drink, but I ask all of you: would you feed your formula fed three-month-old baby brown water?

Would you even attempt to boil brown water knowing that when you put the water in the pot to boil, it was brown?

Would you bath your two-and-half-year-old and infant in brown water?

Would you yourselves drink the water or have a shower in brown water?

Since the inception of this new water system, I have quietly replaced many items of clothing, towels and bedding that have been mid-wash during a brown sediment water disruption that stains and discolours material.

I have quietly run to the grocery store to buy “safe and clear” drinking water for my children and family.

I have patiently waited for the water to return to normal before bathing my children or maintaining proper hygiene for myself.  

And I have quietly paid my water bills without complaint.

But here was my Wednesday evening for you: after turning the tap water on to draw a bath for my children and leaving the room while the tub was filling I returned with my unclothed children to a bathtub full of brown, cloudy, disgusting water.

Not only did I now have a hot water tank full of this crap, I also wasted an entire tub of water, and had two children upset that their nightly routine was completely disrupted.  

Have you ever had to try and explain to your toddler why the bath could not happen - even though they were undressed and ready?

What about trying to explain to the same toddler during potty-training time that the brown water is okay and won’t go away if you flush the toilet?

And for the kicker - I had my daughter’s medical Pavlik-Harness (a device used to treat hip-dysplasia) in the washing machine being cleaned because it was stated on SooToday.com that a disruption in our water service would be experienced on Thursday.

Last night, I left a message with PUC’s after hours line asking someone to call me back and explain what to do now that my hot water tank was full of brown water sediment. 

No one was kind enough to return my call, and this is where I draw the line on being a quiet customer.

The customer service demonstrated by PUC has appalled me to no end and I would now like some answers.

I would like each and every one of you to explain to me how hard it is to return a call to an upset customer who pays their bills on time with no complaint?

I would like to know if you would feed this brown water to your children, or bath your children in this water?

I would like to know if each and every one of you find it acceptable that it become second nature to run a “water-test” before starting a load of laundry in Canada?

I would like to know how it is acceptable to charge your customers more money for a system that is nothing but problems.

And the most important question of all: how do you know that this water is “safe” to drink?

I would like PUC, City Council and the Algoma Public Health Unit to explain to the citizens of Sault Ste. Marie how it has been proven that this brown water is safe to drink for our babies, children, adults and seniors.

If I do not receive the answers I seek, I will be bringing my concerns forward to our Member of Parliament and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in regards to the Safe Drinking Water Act.

I thank each of you for your time while reading this letter; but thanking me for my understanding and cooperation is no longer acceptable.  

I think you owe it to the people of Sault Ste. Marie to inform them about what is being done to correct and remove “the pre-existing sediment that have been collecting for many years.”

A very upset and concerned parent of Sault Ste. Marie,

Skye Burke

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SooToday.com columnist Mac Headrick also gives his views on the subject.

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