P.E.I. government to meet with Hazelbrook residents to address 'toxic' water

Provincial officials are set to meet with residents of a small Prince Edward Island community who are affected by so-called "forever chemicals" to talk about the next steps in fixing their water issues.

Doug Jenkins has many questions about his drinking water. He owns one of 10 homes in Hazelbrook, about 12 kilometres east of Charlottetown, where the water is contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

One of the options on the table to help with the water problem is piping clean water into the community from a well further away.

"Hopefully it's a permanent solution and not just a Band-Aid that's going to be used as a time-delayer," Jenkins said. "We're hoping for big things and perhaps they'll deliver."

PFAS are man-made chemicals used for their water and heat-resistant properties. They're found in everyday products like cosmetics, packaging and some construction materials. A federal reports says exposure can affect the body, including the liver, kidneys and immune system.

The province said in a statement about the upcoming public meeting that a central water system may be the solution for Hazelbrook residents.

"A proposed central water system would service the 10 residential homes whose drinking water has been impacted by PFAS," the statement reads.

"This means the water for these homes will be drawn from an area not impacted by PFAS in Hazelbrook and piped into the homes."

The public meeting is slated for Nov. 26. The province said a timeline and costs associated with creating a new water system will be provided after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Jenkins said he no longer uses the tap water in his home for cooking, or even to water his plants.

He was told that his water tested for high levels of PFAS back in January. Since then, the province has been providing him with bottled water.

Jenkins said the contamination has been an inconvenience over the past 10 months.

"You wake up in the morning and, 'Oh, I can't brush my teeth in the tap water. I'm going to have to get the glass of water,'" he said.

"It's on your mind all the time because you have to be careful not to drink the poison water that comes from our tap that's there every time you turn it on."