GNWT officer deals with backed-up sewer complaint
Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services
NNSL (Jun 26/98) - The territorial government's senior environmental health officer is satisfied with the way the Yellowknife Apartments management company handled a sewage overflow at Ravenscourt Apartments over the weekend.
"It's an unfortunate thing that happens. We're satisfied ... in essence all tenants have been offered alternative accommodations. That eliminates any immediate health risks," said Brad Colpitts on Wednesday.
On Monday, Mark Davy, a tenant at Ravenscourt Apartments complained that plumbing problems last Friday caused the sewer lines to back up into his bathtub, toilet and sink, spilling raw sewage and water into his hallway, living room and bedroom.
He was upset that the management company did not find alternate accommodations for him following the accident.
When Davy called the management company on Monday and asked for reimbursement of hotel bills he incurred as an alternative accommodation, he was told tenants were offered vacant apartments on Saturday while cleaning crews dealt with the mess.
Davy said it was the first he heard of it.
"I had phoned them on Friday, there was no answer. I phoned them on Saturday and there was no reference to that and I talked to the caretaker on Sunday and there was never any reference to that," said Davy in an earlier interview.
Davy was also concerned about families of small children exposed to germs from the sewage spill in the apartment complex.
By Wednesday, the damaged sewer system had been repaired at Ravenscourt Apartments and a plan was in place to completely clean, replace where appropriate and disinfect all the affected areas in the building," said Colpitts.
Colpitts there is no need to take legal action against the management company and he was confident that the cleanup plan will take care of tenants' concerns.
Each year Colpitt's department deals with about six health complaints in apartment complexes. Two years ago legal action was taken against the owners of one complex which resulted in the building being condemned.
