The Town of Baie Verte has been fined $50,000 for two violations of the Fisheries Act for releasing water with high chlorine levels into the Baie Verte River.

The first violation occurred in September 2017. Officials were informed that chlorinated water from the town’s drinking water system was being discharged into the Baie Verte River.

The town was ordered to mitigate potential ill-effects from the incident and prevent any future occurrences. It was also ordered to provide a written report documenting said measures.

However, between November 2017 and May 2018, enforcement officers took water samples from the river for analysis. In each case, the chlorine levels were between 120 to 6,000 times higher than the recommended limits.

The town was then charged for violating the original order.

On Tuesday, the town pleaded guilty to both offenses. As such, it was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine and will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry.