Over 530 km of asbestos cement pipes in Regina: investigation by W5
Regina has 531 kilometres of asbestos cement pipes, according to findings by a W5 investigation.
CTV Regina Morning Live spoke with W5 correspondent Eric Szeto on Friday to learn more about the research.
Szeto said asbestos cement pipes were a popular material decades ago before it was discovered how toxic and harmful asbestos could be.
“It was so popular at one point, there was close to two million kilometres of this pipe around the world, including right here in Canada, but as these pipes start to age, as this infrastructure starts to go, they tend to fail catastrophically,” he said.
“There’s concern that these fibres go off, break off these pipes, and end up going into your taps, and you end up drinking it.”
W5 spent several months trying to figure out where the pipes are located and whether or not there is asbestos in their water. Part of their investigation brought them to the Queen City.
“We reached out to over 100 communities across the country,” he said. “Ninety per cent of the communities that responded still use asbestos in their piping, including Regina, where there’s over 500 kilometres of this stuff.”
“I think we should note with Regina, for example, there’s been thousands of pipe ruptures in recent decades, and that’s caused concern for activists that see this happening quite frequently.”
Szeto said to push the investigation forward, they wanted to find out where the asbestos is and if there is any in the water from the asbestos cement pipes.
“We ended up taking water samples from Canadian cities, including Regina, and got them sent off to a lab for analysis,” he said.
To find out the results, the full story, “Something in the Water,” will be aired on Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV’s W5.
- With files from CTV’s Eric Szeto and CTV Regina Morning Live
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.