Boil water order lifted at Saskatoon City Hospital

The boil water order at Saskatoon City Hospital was lifted Friday morning after two clean water samples.

The order was issued on Monday after discoloured water was first noticed by staff.
 
Hospital officials say operations have returned to normal.

The discoloured water is being blamed on a corroded section of pipe that primarily serviced the hospital’s sprinkler system.

Staff say a pressure drop in the drinking water system activated a loop, bringing water from the sprinkler system into the supply.
 
The pipe was replaced Tuesday afternoon and a floor-by-floor flush of the hospital’s water system was conducted Wednesday morning.
 
Test results needed to lift the order weren’t originally expected until Saturday.
 
While the water usage is back to normal, the hospital now has to deal with a significant backlog of surgeries and operations.
 
Between Monday and Friday, 113 non-urgent surgeries were postponed along with hundreds of other operations.
 
The Saskatoon Health Region said they’re working with surgeons and physicians to reschedule the procedures over the “coming months.”
 
“We want to sincerely thank everyone for their patience this week,” said Karen Newman, site leader at SCH.
 
Emergency and urgent surgeries were able to continue through the boil water order through the use of off-site potable water.