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City of White Rock asks public to report rumours

New webpage to correct ‘inaccurate information’ in community, media
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City of White Rock graphic on its website.

Have you heard any good – or, rather, bad rumours lately?

The City of White Rock is inviting the public to report rumours on a new page – Rumours and Misperceptions - Eliminating Misinformation – posted Tuesday on its website.

According to the page, it will address “inaccurate information circulating in the community and the media,” with new facts and topics added on a regular basis.

Members of the public who have heard rumours that they “believe should be corrected” are asked to refer them to factcheck@whiterockcity.ca

The city also gives tips for submitting a potential rumour, including asking for screenshots or links to social media posts; links to media articles, editorials and letters to the editor; and date and time and station of a broadcast.

As examples in its first posting, the city offers two water-related rumours: that “the city is not doing anything to address the water discolouration and quality,” and that “the city is not communicating or engaging with the public about water in White Rock.”

In refuting the first, the city presents a graphic of milestones achieved since the city acquired the water utility in October 2015, including the completion of the Oxford and Merklin reservoirs, partnering with RES’EAU WaterNET to study removal of arsenic and manganese, and the receipt of “nearly $12 million in grant funding for water treatment processes.”

The page also says that “we do know that some people are still experiencing occasional discolouration, but we are hopeful that as the new secondary disinfectant (monochloramine) makes its way through the system, this matter will be resolved.”

As examples of what it describes as “an unprecedented level of information to the public” the city frequent online postings of updates on the city website’s My Water page, an information meeting, a community forum and two open houses, plus marketing and communications campaigns, and brochures sent out with water bills.

The City of White Rock webpage can be found here.