Campbell water chief explains recent safety notice at council meeting

CAMPBELL

Campbell City Council convened Wednesday for its first meeting after its summer recess.

Water Superintendent Joe Tovarnak addressed the public to discuss a water safety notice that Campbell residents received Wednesday, alerting them to a water purity issue.

Tovarnak said a by-product produced by the chlorine used to treat the city’s drinking water had exceeded acceptable levels, based on a recent test, but that the issue had been rectified.

According to Tovarnak, the letters were sent as a formality, and there is no health risk to anyone who has drunk city water. The chlorine, which produces the by-prouct, is used to treat algae.

“We temporarily needed a higher dose to ensure we didn’t have algae in the water,” Tovarnak said. “Over a very long time, at high amounts, the by-product from the chlorine, if we didn’t maintain it, could cause health issues way down the line. If we had an algae bloom though, that’s an immediate risk to people’s health, so we had to make sure that water was treated at appropriate levels.”

Though there was no legislation awaiting final passage during the meeting, the lawmakers did advance several ordinances to second and third readings, including a resolution authorizing a $5,300 payment to CT Consultants for an assessment of the city’s water plant.

The assessment is the latest in a year-long debate between city administrators, council members and the public over how to handle the city’s water treatment plant, which is in need of millions of dollars in upgrades.

The total cost for the assessment was $37,000.

During council’s caucus, Mayor Nick Phillips said he wanted to undertake maintenance work at the city’s community center at Roosevelt Park.

The mayor said he’d like to see the center get a new floor, repaired railings and concrete work around the structure’s walls.

The next mayor’s meeting will be Sept. 13 at city hall.