Important health, well water, waste disposal information in response to storm

DURHAM: The Regional Municipality of Durham is sharing important information for residents affected by the recent storm, including road closures, food safety tips, well water safety, and the safe disposal of yard waste at the Waste Management Facilities (WMFs).

Health information:

Food safety – For residents whose refrigerators were impacted due to power outages, ensure that any food above 4 degrees Celsius is discarded. When in doubt, throw it out. More information is available on the Durham Region Health Department Food safety page and on the Government of Canada’s Food safety in an emergency page.

Flooding and drinking water – If the water in your well was affected by flooding, stop using the water from your home immediately. Test your well water first before using it. Do not use the water, even if you have a disinfection system. Learn more on the Durham Region Health Department’s Flooding page.

Well water – Well water can become contaminated after extreme weather and flooding. Ensure your well water is safe during and after emergencies on the Government of Canada’s Be Well Aware page.

General well water information – Residents with private wells can get more information about well water maintenance and safety on the Durham Region Health Department’s Private wells page.

Storm debris disposal:

Waste Management Facilities (WMFs) – To support residents in the safe disposal of debris caused by the storm, Durham Region’s WMFs will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Tuesday, May 24th, until Saturday, May 28th.

Leaf and yard waste – Waste Management Facilities will also accept any leaf and yard waste dropped off over the next two weeks (until June 6th unless otherwise extended). Additionally, the typical fee for Durham Region residents using the WMFs will be waived for leaf and yard waste to support the storm recovery. Learn more about WMFs at durham.ca/WMF.

Residents in the Townships of Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge can also take advantage of their curbside leaf and yard waste curbside collection on their scheduled collection date.

For the most up-to-date information on power outages and planned restoration times, refer to the Elexicon, Oshawa Power, and Hydro One outage websites.

For the latest news and updates on service disruptions, please follow the Region of Durham on Twitter and Facebook, or visit our website at durham.ca.

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