New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health says the quality of river water will return to normal after this spring’s historic flooding.
Dr. Jennifer Russell says the risk associated with floodwater contamination in the St. John River system has dissipated due to the flushing of the river system.
Russell says waterways always have some levels of bacteria so you should always take precautions, such as not exposing open cuts or wounds to the water and rinsing yourself off after being in the water.
If you plan on fishing, you should rinse the fish with clean drinking water and then cook it before eating it.
Floodwater areas should be used with caution or avoided until they’ve been cleaned up or for about a week after the floodwater has cleared completely.
Sunlight and soil will help destroy harmful bacteria over this time and any excess risk to health should disappear.
