It's been a week of record-breaking flooding in New Brunswick, and water levels still haven't peaked in many areas along the Saint John River and its tributaries.
Safety is an ongoing issue as residents and rescuers continue to do all they can to battle the rising water levels. As the river continues to enter people’s homes and sheds, there is concern about what it is bringing downstream.
“It’s safe to say that given the number of sewage backups, there is probably a great deal of contamination in the water,” says Graeme Stuart-Robertson of the Atlantic Coastal Action Program.
According to Stuart-Robertson, even walking through contaminated water could put you at risk of a bacterial infection.
“Even farm fields upstream where the water is washing in over, all that contains e-coli, salmonella, very likely in the water nearby and now spreading downstream,” explains Stuart-Robertson.
Workers throughout New Brunswick have been struggling all week to prevent propane tanks from floating away and contaminating the river.
On the water, the danger is clearer. Logs and debris floating around, making its way into backyards.
“We don’t know what’s in the river, and it’s covering my well right now, so it could be seeping into the soil, into my well,” says Saint John resident Erin McCarthy.
Emergency officials are advising people to stay as far away from the river as possible.
“We don’t want people to be exposed to this kind of water, but if they are going to be wading through the water, clearly they need to take protective actions in order to not get wet,” says Greg MacCallum of the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization.
If you do find yourself in contact with the river, officials are reminding people to wash their hands thoroughly to prevent any lasting health effects from what is already a difficult and dangerous situation.
Companies that assist with disaster clean-up say restoration efforts can’t begin until the water recedes.
“Sounds like things are supposed to recede next week, and then it will get pretty busy,” says restoration company owner Dick Hickey.
Once water levels recede, clean-up crews say it will take at least a month to clean up all the debris left over from this flood. Restoration efforts are expected to continue well into the summer.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Mary Cranston.
