Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

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.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

Ontario Clean Water Agency

Fire chief, water operator detail response to Hillsburgh boil water advisory

Fire chief, water operator detail response to Hillsburgh boil water advisory

Before a boil water advisory for Hillsburgh residents was lifted last week, Erin fire chief Jim Sawkins was already praising the town’s response during a July 13 council meeting. “Our first priority last night was to get the message out, to get them to stop drinking their water,” the chief said of department’s July 12 response to the advisory. “Before I left last night, after buying them seven pizzas, I said, ‘You know what, you should be proud, the town is proud. You guys came together very quickly and did this,’” Sawkins told council of a conversation he had with the 25 volunteer firefighters who hand-delivered notices to affected residents.

Sewage spill in Wasaga Beach forest to be cleaned in time for long weekend

Sewage spill in Wasaga Beach forest to be cleaned in time for long weekend

Response teams said they controlled the situation before it reached the provincial parkland and that the substance was non-agricultural source material. "Which is essentially treated organic and other waste that's already ready to go get applied to farmers' fields to fertilize crops, so it was a safe certified material," Watts explained. The agency is doing an assessment, but it's believed a check valve failed at the biosolids complex, causing the overflow.

Yellow water lowered use 94%

Yellow water lowered use 94%

The water was drinkable, but not palatable to people in Melbourne last October. Yellow water in Southwest Middlesex had many concerned about its safety. Average daily water flow out of the Melbourne standpipe was down 94 percent in October. Mayor Alan Mayhew brought up the issue during a presentation by Sam Smith with the Ontario Clean Water Agency at the March 23 council meeting. The Tri-County Water board is doing a study to see if the discolouration could be avoided.

Brampton resident and engineer named a winner of Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award

Brampton resident and engineer named a winner of Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award

A highly decorated Ontario Public Service employee living in Brampton has been named a Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winner. Indra Maharjan is a wastewater professional and the current director of innovation, technology and alternative delivery at the Ontario Clean Water Agency. Born in Nepal, Maharjan has been creating innovation solutions for the Canadian water and wastewater industry since moving to Canada more than 10 years ago. “My current role is to promote innovative solutions around energy, climate change and resource recovery,” he said, in a release announcing his win. “It involves working with stakeholders to demonstrate new technology and implementation models that reduce the cost of operating the system making it more sustainable and resilient.”

Callander hydrant flushing may discolour drinking water

Callander hydrant flushing may discolour drinking water

Callander’s operations department is teaming up with the Ontario Clean Water Agency to flush the entire drinking water distribution system within the municipality. Work begins today and carries on until Friday, September 10, between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. During this process, the municipality warns that some residents may encounter discoloured water. Rust or sedimentation may also be visible in water throughout the week.

Mapleton water operator backs the quality of the town's drinking water

Mapleton water operator backs the quality of the town's drinking water

The Township of Mapleton’s water operator has defended their operation as safe but accepted some improvements can be made to the system. The Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), the largest water and wastewater operator in Canada, delegated to Mapleton council Tuesday evening to clarify some findings from a recent meeting. OCWA is the operator of Mapleton’s water systems as well as nearby Wellington North, Shelburne and Grand Valley among other municipalities.

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