Councillor steamed over lag time on brown water report

Winnipeggers could be just a few weeks away from knowing why brown water has been pouring from their taps on and off for several months.

The City of Winnipeg commissioned a report to get to the bottom of the problem, and according to the citys chair of public works, the report is now complete.

Coun. Justin Swandel said hes seen the report, but he isnt prepared to tell citizens whats in it yet.

I have just quickly flipped through it. I havent looked at it in detail, he said. Theres some good information there, but I am not at liberty to disclose that information right now.

A spokesperson for Mayor Sam Katz told CBC a special seminar is being scheduled to debrief councillors on the report, and the public will likely get a peek at it early next month.

That timeline is unacceptable to Coun. Jenny Gerbasi. She said if the report is ready now, a date needs to be set for councillors, and the public should get access to the report quickly.

If theres a report thats ready to go, at least tell us when were going to see it, she said on Thursday. The public and council have been waiting a long time for this information.

Gerbasi wasnt happy only Swandel has seen the report so far.

Now that we know there is a report and its ready, I think we should see it as soon as possible, she said.