Water at new DND HQ is now safe to drink

Pipes to be flushed regularly in future

The almost 1,000 federal workers at the former Nortel campus on Carling Avenue can now drink the water.

A drinking-water ban for the Department of National Defence campus had been in place since April 27 after tests found higher than acceptable levels of lead and other chemicals.

Bottled water was passed out to the DND employees and the Tim Hortons coffee shop at the headquarters complex in the west end of Ottawa had temporarily suspended its service.

However, a new series of tests has determined the water is now within the acceptable limits, according to Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Department of National Defence.

“Water samples obtained on 2 May were tested and the results confirm that the water is clear and meets Health Canada drinking water quality guidelines,” DND employees were told in a May 8 message obtained by the Citizen.

The drinking water advisory was issued as a precaution to occupants of buildings 8 and 9 at the DND Carling campus.

The former Nortel facility is to be the new headquarters for the DND. So far, about 980 DND employees are working at the site, almost all in buildings 8 and 9.

The DND has tried to reassure its employees about the water issues. “Short-term exposure to drinking water that contains levels slightly higher than the Health Canada guidelines for drinking water quality is not expected to have health effects since the drinking water guidelines are based on a lifetime of exposure,” it added in its message to workers.

But John MacLennan, president of the Union of National Defence Employees, said his organization has its concerns.

MacLennan, whose union represents DND workers, noted that before the water ban became public, his staff were already hearing concerns from employees questioning the environmental safety of the Carling Avenue site. Some workers there were complaining about headaches and stomach issues, he added.

The previous water quality results indicated that low water demand in the campus buildings resulted in standing water in the pipes, which, in turn, led to the higher levels of contaminants. The lines were flushed twice to clear them of any stagnant water.

“A plan is in place to ensure the water system is flushed on a regular basis in order to avoid any future accumulation of standing water in the pipes,” the DND message noted. “Water testing will remain ongoing as needed, and Canadian Health Services Centre (Ottawa) Preventative Medicine will interpret the results to ensure safe drinking water guidelines continue to be met.”

The federal government spent $208 million to buy the Nortel complex; at a December 2013 briefing for journalists, defence officials said it will cost another $506 million to refit the buildings and $41 million in “transition costs,” which are the costs of existing DND leases at other sites throughout Ottawa and Gatineau.

DND will consolidate its 40 facilities across the national capital region into a small number of locations, with more than half of its 16,000 local staff stationed at the Carling Avenue headquarters.

Senior government officials maintain the move will save taxpayers $750 million over the next 25 years.

The project, however, has fallen behind schedule. The DND had originally wanted around 3,400 staff at the campus by March 31, 2016. It is estimated there should be about 1,500 staff in buildings 8 and 9 by this summer.