P.E.I. Greens say province should provide free well-water testing
CBC
Prince Edward Island's Green Party is calling on the provincial government to immediately make residential water testing free.
Opposition environment critic Hannah Bell says the costs of getting the tests done as often as it's recommended, quickly adds up.
"Just for your basic water quality [test] which looks at bacteria in water, it's $95 plus HST, and if you want to add on chemical testing, it's another $45 plus HST," she said.
"So your basic test is going to be $135-$140 plus HST and there's also some extra ones on top of that. So it can very quickly get to $200 and that's for every time you get a test."
It is currently up to homeowners who own their well to test their water. Such private systems are more common in rural areas.
The P.E.I Environment Department recommends homeowners drinking well water get it tested at least once a year or whenever there's some indication something may be wrong with the water.
The P.E.I. government has previously said it's looking at ways to make the testing free.