** A previous version of this article mis-identified Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation (BCAF) as Bluenose Coastal Action Centre (BCAC). We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Cleaning up the Lahave saw a bit of a set back after an infrastructure failure caused untreated wastewater to flow into the river for a week.
The wastewater spilled into the Lahave after a main discharge pipe failed at a Pump Station near King Street.
The pipe was repaired yesterday.
A spokesperson from the town says the hope is for the wastewater to disperse with the tide but Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation (BCAF)** says the public should still be careful along the shoreline for a while, particularly people with pets
Shanna Fredericks, assistant director at BCAF, the sewage won’t dissipate immediately and some bacteria may stay a while and could cause illness.
“It could float up on to the shoreline, go into the beach sand, settle into the bottom sediments, it can actually attach to aquatic vegetation, it could be in piles of seaweed by the shoreline.”
Although the risk is minimized because it’s winter and there are less people interacting near the river, the bacteria could still contain pathogens that could make people or pets ill.
“I would either avoid the shorelines altogether or if you are going to visit the shorelines at the beaches, just exercise caution, I wouldn’t recommend allowing your pets to run around by the shoreline,” says Fredericks.
The action centre has been monitoring the water for 11 years and took samples just a couple days ago.
Fredericks says they’ll likely see a difference in those samples compared to previous ones.
However, she praised the town for dealing with the problem as quickly as they could.
Fredericks says she is looking forward to the continued efforts of improving water quality in the Lahave, including the upcoming replacement of straight pipes that lead directly to the river.
