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Renal facility opens again

The local renal dialysis facility is open again after a mysterious odour forced its closure last week.
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Port Alberni's renal dialysis unit is open again after being closed last week because of a mysterious odour in the unit.

The local renal dialysis facility is open again after a mysterious odour forced its closure last week.

The facility’s odour — described being similar to gas — lingered off and on since October 2010, but became more troublesome to staff as of late.

Officials closed the nondescript facility located on Sixth Avenue near Roger Street last Wednesday and redirected both the staff and 20 clients who go to the facility for dialysis to Nanaimo’s new renal care facility for treatment.

An inspection of the Port Alberni building by the landlord turned up nothing.

But the cause of the odour was found by an environmental consultant brought in by the landlord, and the facility reopened on Saturday.

“The problem was a malfunction in a rooftop heating and ventilation unit,” said VIHA spokesperson Val Wilson.

reporter@albernivalleynews.com