BURSTVillage of Granisle woes related to its water system, dating to 2018, now have a group of residents pitted against the municipal government and its water treatment contractor Purifics Water in a lawsuit.
The civil claim, initiated by Granisle resident Rhiana Stryd, alleges negligence by the Village and Purifics that exposed class members to unsafe drinking water, including elevated levels of aluminum, for an extended period.
It also alleges that Stryd and potential other class members suffered adverse health effects and increased risk of future adverse health effects as a result of the negligence.
The claim says problems with the design, operation, and monitoring of the treatment plant allowed aluminum to leak into the water supply, and that the Village failed to adequately investigate, maintain, and monitor the system, and failed to warn people about the potential risk.
The claim was filed by Vancouver-based law firm Murphy Battista in February. Lawyers for the firm are seeking to turn the claim into a class action suit seeking yet-undefined general, special, aggravated, and punitive damages, as well as, recovery of health care, court, and other costs.
The Village contracted Purifics in 2018 to construct the water plant and provide ongoing service inspections, repairs, and remediation.
In June 2025, a power surge and resulting power outage at the plant caused damage to treatment equipment. Repairs were undertaken, but throughout the summer, residents complained of water quality issues, including discolouration and changes to the feel and texture of the water.
In September 2024, a filtration unit failed integrity testing, and a membrane fracture was discovered. Laboratory testing indicated aluminum concentrations of 8.99 mg per litre, nearly three times the maximum acceptable concentration according to Canadian guidelines.
Comparison with the source water from Babine Lake indicated that the aluminum must have come from a coagulant (aluminum chlorohydrate) used by the system to remove organic and inorganic contaminants.
While casual exposure to aluminum in water is unlikely to cause adverse effects, long-term exposure has been linked to neurodegenerative and neurological diseases, cognitive problems, and bone diseases.
Throughout the remainder of 2024 and into 2025, the water system continued to experience problems, including turbidity issues, membrane leaks, structural defects, failures to meet integrity testing requirements, and deficiencies in monitoring systems, according to the lawsuit.
Further, it alleges that the Village did not communicate this information to residents or to Northern Health.
In August 2025, the health authority inspected the facility and ordered the Village to undertake repairs and enhanced monitoring, resulting in a Sept. 4 water quality advisory recommending water be boiled before use.
Further testing later in the fall indicated aluminum levels exceeded the guidelines, and on Dec. 15, the Village issued a Do Not Consume Order that remains in place.
On April 8, Scott Stanley and Elizabeth Emery, the two Murphy Battista lawyers leading the civil claim, hosted a town hall meeting in Granisle via Zoom. The purpose was to answer questions about the lawsuit and collect more members for the class action.
Most of the evening focused on technical aspects of the legal process and scope of the lawsuit, but some questions reflected deep-seated anxiety and distrust, even concerns about criminality, personal liability of Village officials, and accusations that the Village was using the lawsuit as an excuse to keep residents in the dark about what is currently going on.
Stanley did his best to keep things on an even keel, encouraging people to trust the process, and even reminding questioners that Village officials are also residents and potential class members.
Black Press Media reached out to the Village for an update. The latest response came this week from Mayor Linda McGuire.
“Very little to report, other than we are still on a Do Not Consume Order with the assessment ongoing,” she said.
“Hoping to provide further details in the upcoming weeks.”
Meanwhile, the Village continues to distribute bottled water to residents.
The status of the legal claim is waiting to be certified as a class action suit, a legal process by which the B.C. court decides whether the case can proceed on behalf of a group of people with similar claims.
Stanley was unable to provide a timeline for certification, noting that a judge has yet to be assigned. When one is assigned, scheduling a hearing will begin.