Saseenos resident Mary Whitley noticed something unusual in the wash basin while washing her hands under the tap in the bathroom.

B次元官网网址淭hey wiggled. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why I noticed them in the sink,B次元官网网址� she said.

The tiny worm-like, motile organisms were about a millimetre long and translucent with a dark, almost black end.

She contacted a friend who is an environmental scientist, who said the worms were likely nematodes or roundworms. There are about 15,000 species of nematode in the world.

Her acquaintance said the organisms were unlikely to be pathogens, but could indicate potential problems with water supply or purity.

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According to a Capital Regional District official, finding free-living nematodes, even deceased ones, at a drinking water tap in the Greater Victoria Drinking Water System is highly unlikely.

B次元官网网址淲hile Greater VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 drinking water is unfiltered, it receives multiple stages of disinfection treatment that would kill any aquatic organism before the water reaches the consumerB次元官网网址檚 taps,B次元官网网址� said Andy Orr.

Orr said the organisms Whitley observed are more likely a species of drain worms that thrive in moist environments like plumbing fixtures.

B次元官网网址淥ver many years of microscopic examination of the Greater VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 source water, qualified laboratory staff have observed very few free-living nematodes; it is therefore very unlikely that this is indeed what the customer saw,B次元官网网址� Orr said.

Regular water quality samples from nearby sampling stations have confirmed excellent drinking water quality. Still, Orr said the concerns prompted further investigations into the areaB次元官网网址檚 water supply and overall water quality.