Former Village of Morrin mayor claims sewer back-up is municipality’s fault

Local Journalism Initiative
·3 min read

A former mayor of the Village of Morrin has more ammunition in his confrontation with the municipality as his sewer again backed up into his home, an unpleasant experience he says is the village’s fault.

Howard Helton, in a phone interview Feb. 22, stated that his sewer again backed up into his home that day, similar to other back-ups that occurred over the past few years.

Helton stated both he and his spouse were working in the basement that morning when they heard an unusual amount of water running and water pooling up in the downstairs bathroom.

Helton stated he and his wife have tried to avoid causing sewer problems by not flushing paper or materials like cooking oil but the former mayor stated he feels the problem lies within the sewer pipe outside his property which is the village's responsibility.

“It was bound to have happened because they haven’t fixed it yet,” said Helton.

The former mayor noted when this happened previously he immediately tried to contact a plumber but the village later told him he erred by doing that and his first contact should have been the Village of Morrin, so that’s what he did this time.

Helton confirmed that the village arranged for a plumber to address the problem the next day, Feb. 23, arriving about 9 a.m. and leaving about 10:30 a.m.

Helton stated he didn't receive any information about the plumber’s work so he later contacted the village and discovered the work was successful.

Helton stated he feels, unless repairs are made, the problem will return because the issue lies within the village’s sewer pipe.

A message left by the ECA Review reporter at the Village of Morrin office Feb. 23 for comment was not returned by deadline.

Boil water advisory

There was some confusion in the Morrin community this week as residents debated on social media whether or not the village was under a boil water advisory, and whether or not Morrin’s water was safe to drink.

Both Mayor Chris Hall and Coun. M'Liss Edwards commented on a Morrin social media page that Morrin’s water was safe and the boil water advisory was related to problems in Drumheller.

“Everyone calm down the water is shut off at the Munson pump house we are not getting their water besides we have a huge deposit of water in storage and it’s clean and when it gets low we are getting it brought in by truck to Morrin from Hanna the water has not changed,” stated Mayor Hall’s social media post. “We will open up the lines when Drumheller is good again.”

A message left at the Village of Morrin office Feb. 23 for comment was not returned by deadline.

A number of Munson residents also posted comments and concerns about their water, noting that after boiling it seemed the water had a residue in it.

Marilyn Gainer-Smith posted, “I'm in the village of Munson. I boil two pots of water last night to see how it is looking. And then I boiled a pot this morning. It turns white all around The Inside Edge of the pot. Looks like almost some kind of oily substance or whatever I don't know what it is it floats to the top of the water. My grandson stuck his finger in the pot and Drew on the bottom. So it's coating. I'd like to know what this stuff is? LOL.”

Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) website noted, “Effective immediately, AHS has lifted the boil water order for the Bankview, Huntington, Hillsview and Greentree neighbourhoods in the Town of Drumheller. A water line break in the community had prompted AHS to advise residents and businesses within the impacted areas to boil water prior to any consumption as a precautionary measure on Feb.21.

“That issue has since been resolved, and water quality testing has confirmed that water is once again safe to consume.”

Stu Salkeld, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, East Central Alberta Review

Latest Stories

  • Creature of island mythology is real — and a new species, researchers in France say

    Scientists began to take the creature seriously after one was accidentally captured.

  • Mysterious thrashing in Florida swamp was alligator eating an alligator, woman learns

    “Amazing and scary.”

  • Tidal power developer slams DFO for years of delays, stops application for N.S. project

    The decades long saga to harness the highest tides in the world to create renewable energy seems to have hit another snag. But the problem is not the powerful currents, it's red tape. The CEO of Sustainable Marine Energy, a company based in Scotland with an office in Dartmouth, says his company is stepping back from its application for a site with the non-profit Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) near Parrsboro, N.S. "We have notified [the Department of Fisheries and Oceans] that we

  • Millions of dead fish fill a river in Australia, videos show. What caused the die-off?

    Officials say multiple fish species were swept up in the die-off, contributing to the massive number of dead fish in the river.

  • Accused shooter provides strange reason for firing into elk herd, Oregon officials say

    Four elk died after the shooting, wildlife officials said.

  • Student innovation helps Fraser Valley farmers tackle weighty plastic problem

    Farmers in Agassiz, B.C. finally have a solution to their thousand-tonne problem. Agassiz farmer Gerald Struys says farms in the area accumulate about 1,200 to 1,400 tonnes of agricultural plastic every year — about the equivalent of 350 Asian elephants. "It's important to find a way to recycle [the plastic] because just dumping in a landfill isn't doing any good," said Struys, who is also the chair of the Kent Ag Plastics society. Agricultural plastic includes bale wrap and bunker covers used t

  • Nova Scotia amends cap-and-trade rules to deliver $165M in power utility and ratepayer savings

    The Houston government has amended provincial cap-and-trade regulations to exempt Nova Scotia Power and ratepayers from $165 million in pollution payments — the paperwork needed to deliver a promise it announced last year. On Monday, the province said amendments to the cap-and-trade program regulations issued in a March 16 cabinet order effectively wipe 2.6 megatonnes of carbon emissions from Nova Scotia Power's account. That represents emissions from fossil fuels the company was forced to buy a

  • California town engulfed in floodwater. But residents fear what will happen if they flee

    A California town is engulfed in floodwater, but residents fear what will happen if they flee.

  • Egyptian startup transforms plastic bags into tiles

    STORY: This Egyptian startup is aiming to turn billions of plastic bags into tilesLocator: Sharqiya, EgyptTileGreen's product could reduce the amount of waste going into the Mediterranean Seaand help bring down emissionsfrom the building sectorPlastic waste is melted and compressed at a factory on the outskirts of CairoThe tiles are used for outdoor paving(Khaled Raafat, TileGreen co-founder)“So far, we have recycled more than five million plastic bags, but this is just the beginning. We aim that by 2025, we will have recycled more than five billion plastic bags. Currently, we have plans to expand in Egypt, and we have plans to expand in some Arab countries. We started working on this with our partners, real estate developers and contracting companies who tried our product and liked it very much and want to spread its usage.”Egypt is one of the worst polluters in the Mediterranean regionNearly 82,000 tons of plastic waste enter the sea each yearThat’s according to a 2020 report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature

  • A false start to spring in B.C. after balmy weekend temperatures

    After a sneak preview of mid-May weather on the weekend, temperatures in B.C. are set to fall back to Earth this week, giving residents a false start to the season.

  • Spring shows its true colours in Ontario with threats of rain, snow and ice

    Multiple rounds of unsettled weather will take aim as spring kicks off in Ontario, with rain in the south and another healthy shot of snow in northern sections.

  • Potent storm slams California with snow, rain, wind; wintry weather spreads across Plains, Midwest

    Tuesday is the first full day of spring, but that isn’t stopping parts of the country from California to the South from seeing wintry weather.

  • Heavy rain to hit Southern California; thousands flee flooding in Central Valley

    A weary, storm-soaked California is bracing for another bout of heavy rain, power outages and potential flooding this week.

  • Canada will take a 'hard long look' at UN call to speed emissions reduction: minister

    OTTAWA — Canada will take a "hard long look" at a call from global climate scientists to hit its long-term greenhouse gas emissions targets 10 years earlier than planned, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Monday. But he wouldn't promise that it's possible. His comments came after the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a new report Monday warning the world is teetering dangerously close to missing its critical targets to keep global warming in check. The pan

  • Chilly start to spring as millions under freeze warnings and watches; more rain, snow to hit California: Live weather updates

    Another storm is here and another is on the way in California, and the beginning of spring will be cooler than usual for much of the country. Updates.

  • Guilbeault wants stronger links with Alberta on issues of oilsands tailings ponds

    OTTAWA — Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is emphasizing his call for stronger links between Ottawa and Alberta when it comes to environmental protection in the oilsands. Guilbeault repeated today his plan for a new body with federal and provincial members that would share information, especially on environmental emergencies like the releases from Imperial Oil's Kearl mine in Alberta. Guilbeault, in a letter last week to his provincial counterpart, Sonya Savage, spelled out what he

  • Spring wastes no time in showing Ontario why it's a season of contrast

    A perfectly timed taste of spring in Ontario this week will include multiple rounds of unsettled weather in the province, with rain in the south and another healthy shot of snow in northern sections.

  • That's the Spot: Bear Thoroughly Enjoys Scratching Its Back on a Tree

    A black bear was filmed scratching its back outside of a home in Asheville, North Carolina, on Wednesday, March 15.Video recorded by Debra Howell shows the bear sliding its back up and down a tree near a road.Howell told Storyful she was cooking dinner at home when she noticed a vehicle parked outside her house, with someone looking at the bear.“I went out to see what was going on and saw the bear scratching. The car scared him and he ran, however as soon as the car left he went back to the tree and started scratching again. I luckily had my camera and recorded the whole thing.” Credit: Debra Howell via Storyful

  • Drone Video Captures Rare Waterfalls in Utah Desert

    Rare waterfalls were observed in Gunlock State Park, Utah, after heavy rainfall brought flooding to the Santa Clara River.Video recorded by photographer RJ Hooper between Thursday, March 16, and Saturday, March 18, shows the impressive stream of water move through the iconic Utah red desert.Gunlock State Park officials said the waterfalls have only occurred a “few times in the last decade”.Park officials issued an updated advisory on Sunday, March 19, advising visitors that the area near the waterfalls was closed as crews removed debris. Credit: RJ Hooper via Storyful

  • Drought in Spain's northeast empties reservoirs

    VILANOVA DE SAU, Spain (AP) — The medieval church of Sant Romà disappeared from view in the 1960s, when the town of Vilanova de Sau, an hour north of Barcelona, was flooded to create a reservoir. In the past three decades, its spectral belltower has broken the surface several times, serving as a punctual reminder of Spain’s fragile water resources. But today the church’s tower, its nave and the building’s foundations are all exposed. The bare, steep ridges of the Sau reservoir show how far its l