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.
Two New Brunswick cities are considering opposite approaches when it comes to residential water meters. Bathurst in the northeast has meters but is considering switching to a flat-rate model based on the cost to update its system. Dieppe in the southeast charges a flat rate but will test meters in several hundred homes next year. Meters measure water usage, billing customers at a rate set by the community.
Moncton plans to spend $6 million this winter to upgrade its water treatment plant, the first phase of a plan to deal with cyanobacteria in the municipal water supply. Cyanobacteria was found in 2017 in the Turtle Creek watershed, the drinking water source for Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can form blooms and produce toxins harmful to humans and animals. The water remains safe to drink and the multimillion dollar upgrades are meant to keep it that way.
Moncton's $77.6-million capital budget sets aside millions to deal with blue-green algae in the municipal water supply. Jack MacDonald, Moncton's general manager of engineering and environmental services, said the city will work with Dalhousie University to study whether a water purification system could be added at the treatment plant to handle the algae.
The provincial government did not issue a permit to spray the controversial herbicide glyphosate this year near the Turtle Creek Watershed, the water source for greater Moncton. The decision comes after an outcry from Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold last August. 'Well, I'm pretty excited," Arnold said after learning the news over the weekend.
