'We have to find a solution': W5 investigation explores risk of asbestos cement pipes in Regina
Over 500 kilometres of asbestos cement pipes run through Regina’s water utility system, according to findings from a W5 investigation.
Due to their supposed durability and low cost, over two million kilometres of asbestos cement pipes could be found around the world at one point, with Canada being no exception.
Asbestos was once considered a miracle mineral, being used in thousands of products for its insulating and fireproofing properties.
However, in the 1960’s, Dr. Irving Selikoff discovered that asbestos particles were poisonous when inhaled and linked the mineral to the respiratory illnesses of millions of asbestos workers.
Now, a different kind of concern surrounds the use of asbestos.
“As these pipes start to age, as this infrastructure starts to go, they tend to fail catastrophically,” W5 correspondent Eric Szeto told CTV Regina Morning Live.
“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.”
The science isn’t as clear about what happens if you ingest or drink asbestos particles.
Regardless, leading experts in the field are still worried.
“We are constantly getting more and more evidence. Some of it going back 50 years, but more and more evidence that it can cause gastrointestinal tract cancers,” Arthur Frank, a physician and professor of public health at Drexel University told CTV News.
Due to ground shifting, the Queen City is plagued with frequent breaks in its water lines.
Julian Branch, an activist and former journalist who lives in Regina, says there needs to be more awareness and more action from all levels of government on the issue.
“The asbestos is going into the water and according to our federal government, according to federal studies, it's causing a health concern,” Branch said.
“Canadians should be very concerned about their drinking water.”
As part of its investigation, W5 contacted 100 communities across Canada. Ninety nine per cent of those communities that responded still used asbestos in their piping.
The European Union no longer wants asbestos cement pipes delivering water, with the organization advocating for their removal.
Meanwhile in Canada, there has been little push to do this federally.
Health Canada maintains there is no consistent evidence drinking or ingesting asbestos is harmful.
That stance has led to there to be no maximum limit to asbestos in water, and no maximum means there is no need for testing.
Branch believes that there is a “complete and utter lack of political accountability” on the issue.
“It’s up to the politicians today to find a solution. We can't just keep pretending it's not there,” he said.
“We have to find a solution to this before it's too late."
For the results and the full story, ‘Something in the Water’ is available on the CTV News website.
With files from CTV’s Eric Szeto and CTV Regina Morning Live
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.