DAWSON CITY Concerns over water quality in Dawson have been a feature of the last two council meetings, with discussions about wells and hard water content being topics of discussion.

At the Oct. 2 council meeting, the report from Norm Carlson, the superintendent of public works, indicated that 'E coli bacteria was detected in PW3', one of the three wells from which the town draws its drinking water.

'We sampled repeatedly and changed sampling points to eliminate any possible error in sampling protocol.'

Officials then shut down the well and and contacted Gartner Lee Ltd. for advice, as per instructions from the territorial environmental health branch.

It was determined that the effluent possibly came from a sewer line blockage on Front Street near where the wells are located.

This line was cleaned and cleared right away and, just in case the soil around the well was contaminated, the well was disinfected and superclorinated.

The report noted that sampling of water actually in the town's water system did not reveal any E coli during this time.

Eldorado Hotel owner Peter Jenkins wrote in with a different concern in a letter tabled at last Tuesday's meeting.

Jenkins indicated that all the properties connected with his hotel are experiencing a high rate of failures in equipment 'serviced by municipal piped water.'

'During the past six years,' Jenkins wrote, 'our firm has experienced an alarming failure rate of water valves, copper water piping and electric hot water tanks.'

Water tanks used to last 10 years, he noted, but 'we are now fortunate to obtain a five-year life cycle with some tanks failing after two years.'

Jenkins speculated that something in the water is causing the failures and that that problem might be a high PH rating in the water.

'I believe that there is something chemically wrong with the City of Dawson water supply.'

An analytical report from ALS Laboratory Group of samples taken in late July was provided to council by the Department of Public Works. It indicated that the PH rating for the water tested was 7.85.

The acceptable range, according to Canadian regulations is between 6.5 and 8.5. Dawson's water appears to be on the high side of the mid-range.

City manager Paul Moore indicated this report has been passed on to Jenkins orally, but that it will be forwarded in a letter as well.

Council wants the cause of the problem determined, and instructed Moore to pass this on to Carlson.