GREENWOOD, N.S. — Residents of Greenwood's Planesview subdivision who found higher than acceptable levels of arsenic in their drinking water during the summer months are still in the dark about the issue.
Greenwood village commissioner Richard Nickerson was one of the Robie Avenue homeowners to test his well water after learning about elevated arsenic levels from his neighbours.
Kings County and the provincial health department were advised in September about the situation after the issue was raised with the village commission.
Nickerson said he is aware that a few local homeowners were contacted by the regional office of health, but he wasn't one of them. He says nothing has happened at all since he brought the issue to the village commission's attention.
"There has been no public information whatsoever about this issue," Nickerson said during the Nov. 19 meeting of the Greenwood village commission.
He said nine of 15 affected homeowners living on Robie Avenue have since installed water treatment systems at their own expense.
"We don't even know how many people have done testing and what their results were," added Nickerson.
Village commission chairman Brian Banks agreed Kings County and the province "haven't been forthcoming" about the investigation.
He has discussed the issue with Warden Diana Brothers and understands "her hands are tied waiting for provincial funding," which is needed to investigate some type of remediation.
Nickerson doesn't accept that as an excuse for not communicating with area residents.
"You don't need funding to notify 117 homes in the affected area about the arsenic," he said.