Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
The Eastern Ontario Health Unit says the water meets drinking water standards, but the advisory recommends residents use bottled water or another source of water for preparing baby formula for infants and food or drinks for young people. "I’m not bathing my grandchildren when they come over and I have to have bottled water," Casselman resident Jocelyn Butler-Rohland said on Sunday.
Earlier this month, residents raised concerns about drinking water that is dark, appearing dirty or the colour of apple juice. The discoloured water is because of high levels of manganese – a mineral distributed in air, water and soil – present in the South Nation River, according to the municipality. In an update this week, the municipality said it has issued a water quality advisory for the Municipal Water Distribution System due to manganese levels above the Canadian Drinking Water Quality guidelines, and the advisory will remain in effect for further notice.
Manganese levels were at a historic high earlier this week, reaching 0.45 mg/L, according to Mayor Geneviève Lajoie. They subsequently decreased to 0.35 mg/L on Thursday, still well above Health Canada's "maximum acceptable concentration" of 0.12 mg/L. That guideline is based on the possible risks for infants, who may be particularly sensitive to neurological effects.
