How Halifax Water communicated major boil-water order leaves ‘serious questions to answer,’ says councillor

Halifax Water faced a challenging situation in late January when a boil-water order affecting about 200,000 customers needed to be communicated to residents. Despite using the city’s emergency notifications platform, hfxALERT, only around 40,000 of the city’s 500,000 residents were signed up at the time.

The incident at the J.D. Kline (Pockwock Lake) water treatment facility was caused by a planned power outage by Nova Scotia Power. While a backup generator engaged during the outage, fuses for the water pumps blew, interrupting the chlorine disinfection process. This led to an alert being issued to residents, urging them to boil water before consumption.

District 16 Coun. Jean St-Amand expressed concerns about how Halifax Water communicated with residents during the boil-water order, leading to criticism of the utility’s approach. The incident highlighted issues with Nova Scotia Power’s notification process for planned outages and the effectiveness of Halifax Water’s communication strategies.

The boil-water order caused disruptions across the municipality, with businesses closing and surgeries being rescheduled. Premier Tim Houston criticized Halifax Water, calling the situation an embarrassment.

One of the main challenges faced during the incident was the lack of updated contact information for Halifax Water’s Pockwock facility from Nova Scotia Power. An off-duty Halifax Water employee alerted the utility about the planned outage, highlighting the importance of effective communication between organizations.

While Halifax Water used social media, public service notices, and emails to inform residents about the boil-water order, the low number of subscribers to the hfxALERT platform raised concerns. St-Amand emphasized the importance of using various communication channels to reach a wider audience during emergencies.

Moving forward, Halifax Water is exploring ways to improve its communication strategies, including using customer contact information for emergency notifications. The utility is working to enhance its alert system and collaborate with the province to establish guidelines for issuing alerts during similar incidents.

Overall, the January boil-water order served as a learning experience for Halifax Water, prompting a reevaluation of its communication methods and a commitment to enhancing emergency response protocols. By addressing the shortcomings highlighted during the incident, the utility aims to better serve residents and ensure timely and effective communication during emergencies.