By Andru McCracken
Problems with water runoff are running downhill to businesses, many of whom have been hard hit by COVID-19. Dirty water – so dirty as to be past the point of treating and even by boiling – prompted the Village of McBride to issue a ‘Do Not Consume’ order June 24th and ordered food establishments to close.
It’s causing havoc for are businesses already hard hit by COVID-19.
Manny Dhillon, owner of the Petro Canada gas station in McBride said the health inspector has ordered him to close his washrooms, because the tap water is not fit for handwashing.
Dhillon was livid.
“This is a highway town, people need food, people need water, people need coffee, people need to use the washrooms. The health inspector is telling us to shut the washrooms because there is no hand washing,” he said.
He said he’s used to dealing with the boil water advisory, but the order not to consume is a real problem.
“How hard is it for the city to just find a solution and do it?”
Restaurateur Donna Perkins opened the Beanery 2 in spite of the order – not because she was rebellious – she just didn’t get the message.
“I don’t have a computer at home, and my cell phone was in my purse, I haven’t taken it out of my purse this morning,” she said.
Perkins said she made it through the day using 40 gallons of water she had boiled earlier.
She said she’d shut down when she runs out.
