The proposed chlorination of Chilliwack’s drinking water comes with a serious threat to its award-winning quality. Health officials are trying to prevent a hypothetical E.coli attack through a sure and constant chlorine attack on all our citizens’ health. Just because something does not show immediate signs of being toxic doesn’t mean it’s harmless. In fact, the long-term negative effects of ingested chlorination-byproducts (Trihalomethanes or THMs) are well-researched and documented. As chlorine reacts with natural ingredients in our water, toxic elements, such as THMs, are formed. Seeing that the human body functions through innumerable, complex biochemical processes, to add a chemical substance to one’s diet will certainly not go unpunished. Health officials would do well in researching this matter before coming to any hasty conclusions and ordering the chemical contamination of our city’s drinking water. Unfortunately, nutritional and biochemical studies, although absolutely vital in understanding the human body, are merely sidelines in the general medical field.
Mario C. Alleckna