REGINA - Resident Julian Branch is trying to spread awareness regarding the ongoing health risks that asbestos cement (AC) water pipes pose to Regina citizens.
Studies done by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) have shed light on the health risks of drinking asbestos from AC water pipes.
Back in 2003, the government of Sask. announced the Communities of Tomorrow partnership, which was a five-year, $30 million investment to "develop, demonstrate and commercialize technologies and management practices for sustainable communities,"
Part of that partnership was bringing the NRC, the University of Regina, and the City of Regina into a unique "community environmental laboratory."
The laboratory was known as the Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure Research (CSIR), which aimed to focus "on the theme of sustainable infrastructure and environment that builds on local industry and R&D capacity."
Two years after opening, the centre came out with a in Regina. The report highlights the number of water main breaks caused by the pipes, which was around 325 in 2003. These numbers were up by around 250 from only three years before.
Pipes were starting to break because they were installed in the city between the 1940s and 1980s, while factors like temperature change also played a role.
Even though Regina was using 531km of AC pipes, which was later , previous studies mentioned in the report noted health concerns regarding AC pipes, which were "related to the release of asbestos fibres into the drinking water due to chemical attack on the asbestos cement material and the erosion of the internal surface of the pipe by the water."
This report didn’t outline any specific health risks to people, but another one done by NRC in
The report made a clear point that "severely deteriorated AC pipes also released asbestos fibre into the drinking water and could pose a hazard of malignant tumours of the gastrointestinal tract and other organs in consumers."
It was also confirmed by the U of R that there is approximately 20 per cent of asbestos fibres contained in an AC pipe.
A lack of action
Despite research indicating health risks from AC pipes, Regina has taken a slow approach to replacing the pipes with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes.
Brach noted, "If [city council] looked at this issue very seriously after the first study came out in 2006, it would have been cheaper to replace all the city’s pipes."
In their 2014 water and sewer utility budget, Regina estimated it would cost $300 million to replace the water distribution system, with 50 per cent of that being AC pipes.
Now, those costs would be in the billions with inflation, as Branch pointed out
A main reason for the city’s lack of urgency is asbestos in water. The health organization has stated "there's no consistent, convincing evidence that asbestos ingested through drinking water is harmful to your health."
During a city council meeting held in 2021, city administration pointed out the findings from Health Canada and what they saw in their test. Regina conducted 11 tests themselves in 2020 and found no traces of asbestos. Since then, the city has dropped the number of tests back down to four a year.
Branch noted, "the big thing with the City of Regina is they do not test for asbestos at water main breaks."
He referenced CTV’s W5 documentary in 2023, where they tested for asbestos at a water main break in the city and found 370,000 fibers in a litre of water.
At the time, CTV interviewed Kurtis Doney, who was formerly the director of water, waste and environment at the City of Regina. When questioning Doney about the findings, he referenced the testing done by the city since 2016, which found no traces of asbestos in the water
Doney later mentioned Health Canada’s clear stance on asbestos in water posing no health concern.
Branch himself said he’s perplexed by how the swallowing asbestos and "water that runs through asbestos cement pipes" on their cancer risk page, yet Health Canada doesn’t believe it’s any concern.
Another point Branch mentioned is the city advises residents when there is a water main break. Over the last few weeks, the city has seen a large amount of water main breaks from the large swing in temperatures.
Some residents who are affected by the water main breaks are receiving a notice from the city. Part of that notice mentions, "repairs stir up sediment from the bottom of the main. This disturbed sediment does not pose health concerns and should not make you sick."
Branch questioned the city's notice regarding sediment found at the bottom of an AC pipe water main break, which goes against study's previously mentioning the health risks of asbestos in water.
As it stands, Regina currently replaces around 10km of water mains that have a high rate of breaks each year.
"Under the current plan, it will take 50 years to replace the asbestos cement water pipes. That's completely unacceptable. My 35-year-old son will be in his late 80s," said Branch.
No studies have been done for over a decade now regarding AC pipes in Regina since the CSIR eventually closed down in the 2010s.
Since then, Sask. politicians in 2024 called for answers surrounding the Communities of Tomorrow partnership and looking into a performance review.
At the time, Sask. Green Party leader Naomi Hunter noted the whole purpose of the partnership was to study asbestos in water, which found health concerns. Now, Hunter said all that is left in Regina is old AC pipes.
Branch believes the city should look into reopening the centre and finish the job that Regina started.
He’s also called on the provincial and federal government to work with the municipal governments to pay attention to the studies that cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
