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

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‘It’s our food supply, right?:’ Shuswap land defender focuses on water

‘It’s our food supply, right?:’ Shuswap land defender focuses on water

It’s about clean water. It’s always been about clean water. Miranda Dick, Secwépemc, repeatedly emphasizes the importance of clean water when she speaks about her actions trying to stop the twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline. She said for her whole life, stemming from her mom and dad, she’s been protecting the watershed. Her mom passed away from cancer more than 18 years ago. “She always said it was in the food we eat and the water we drink – this cancer would be contaminating our human consumption. So she always said to protect clean water, protect the berries, and protect the salmon and the deer. It’s our food supply, right?” remarked Miranda. “So I always led with that, over the course of time, protection of clean water.”

W5 investigation reveals asbestos cement pipes beneath Winnipeggers' feet

W5 investigation reveals asbestos cement pipes beneath Winnipeggers' feet

For decades, starting in the 1950s and ’60s the City of Winnipeg laid hundreds of kilometres of asbestos cement pipes across the city. Now those pipes and the asbestos fibres within them are causing concerns. A recent W5 investigation has found there are 721 kilometres of asbestos cement pipes in Winnipeg, and 25 per cent of the water main networks is also made of the material.

US to limit PFAS 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

US to limit PFAS 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

The US government has proposed its first-ever restrictions on six harmful chemicals found in drinking water. Research has suggested over 200 million Americans likely drink water contaminated with PFAS chemicals, which have been linked to a host of health issues, including cancer. But up until now, the pollutants have only been regulated by some US states. The US on Tuesday issued a rule that would require communities to test and treat water for six of the chemicals.

Here's how to reduce the risk of cancer if you have arsenic in your well water

Here's how to reduce the risk of cancer if you have arsenic in your well water

A Memorial University researcher is urging well owners in Newfoundland to make lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of disease caused by arsenic exposure. Atanu Sarkar, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Medicine, says years or decades of drinking water contaminated by arsenic increases the risk of several cancers — including kidney, liver and lung cancer — due to epigenetic changes that occur during long-term exposure. "They're more prone to have cancer in [the] future," Sarkar said.

Former residents of Quebec military base must apply for compensation for contaminated water before Jan. 15

Former residents of Quebec military base must apply for compensation for contaminated water before Jan. 15

It took Ed Sweeney more than 20 years to discover he was drinking contaminated water in his family home in the 90s. He lived in military housing on Canadian Forces Base Valcartier from 1992 to 1998. A friend reached out to him last year on Facebook about how he could receive compensation from the federal government and two private companies as part of a multimillion-dollar contaminated water case in Shannon, Que.

After decades of legal battles, residents of Shannon, Que., set to be compensated for contaminated water

After decades of legal battles, residents of Shannon, Que., set to be compensated for contaminated water

Stephan Gurgurewicz, a self-described army brat who grew up at the Canadian Forces Valcartier Base, says he's glad to have some form of closure. His father was stationed at the base near Quebec City from 1976 until his retirement in 1980, when the family moved to the neighbouring town of Shannon. Both his parents died of cancer, his father in 2004, and his mother last January.

Toxic, long-lasting contaminants detected in people living in northern Canada

Toxic, long-lasting contaminants detected in people living in northern Canada

Almost all of us have PFAS in our body even though some types of PFAS have been banned internationally since 2000. Exposure to PFAS usually comes from food, consumer products and contaminated water. Populations with higher exposures to PFAS tend to have a greater incidence of high cholesterol, thyroid disruption, cancer, early menopause and other health effects.

Arsenic legacy in lake-bottom sediments from historic N.S. mine worries researcher

Arsenic legacy in lake-bottom sediments from historic N.S. mine worries researcher

Findings from a study describing the arsenic legacy left in lake-bottom sediments near an abandoned Halifax gold mine are setting off alarm bells for a senior cancer researcher. A paper published Monday in the journal Science of the Total Environment says a dated core sample taken from the bottom of Lake Charles discovered arsenic at 4,960 milligrams per kilogram, more than 280 times higher than levels "where biological harm is expected."

Western scientists address corrosion issues

Western scientists address corrosion issues

There is a long history of lead pipes being used for drinking water distribution, in Canada and around the world. Many homeowners – with the financial fortitude to do so – have replaced them with specialized plastic over the years but lead pipes still remain in many Canadian homes. Lead pipes are susceptible to corrosion due to the ions present in water, which can cause the lead to leach out of the piping and into the water. To try to prevent this leaching, historically some of the lead pipes in Canada were exchanged with copper pipes. However, when the replacement was only partial, the new connection of copper to lead accelerated the problem through galvanic corrosion.

Tottenham’s water shows little improvement after installation of aeration system

Tottenham’s water shows little improvement after installation of aeration system

The aeration system that had the potential to significantly reduce the level of trihalomethanes (THMs) in Tottenham’s drinking water is struggling to make much of a difference. The Town of New Tecumseth hired engineering consultant R.V. Anderson Associates Limited to conduct a year-long review of the effectiveness of the $800,000 aeration system activated at the Mill Street reservoir in October 2019. The report concluded that the annual running average level of THMs declined 10 per cent compared to prior sample data from 2019. The report also found the variability of THM levels has been reduced by six to 10 per cent within the distribution system.

Bad water sickens First Nations, but government doesn’t track the toll

Bad water sickens First Nations, but government doesn’t track the toll

The true toll of the water crisis in First Nations communities across Canada can’t be known because the government has failed to track and study water-related illnesses. That stands in the way of tackling the problem, experts told the Institute for Investigative Journalism as part of “Clean Water, Broken Promises,” a year-long investigation conducted in collaboration with universities across the country and a consortium of media outlets including The Tyee. Some critics charge the “black hole” of information is intentional because it allows authorities to duck responsibility. A disproportionate number of illnesses that occur as a result of contaminated drinking water are in First Nations communities with substandard water systems, but the data needed to map the reality are missing.

B.C. community of Hedley under do-not-consume water advisory due to arsenic levels

B.C. community of Hedley under do-not-consume water advisory due to arsenic levels

Residents of a small B.C. community are facing an ongoing water issue that started in late December and could stretch into March. Located in the Southern Interior, the village of Hedley is under a do-not-consume water advisory because of higher-than-safe arsenic levels. The advisory came into effect on Christmas Day and, because of wrinkles caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, is expected to last another four weeks.

The unknown impact of microplastics in drinking water

The unknown impact of microplastics in drinking water

Microplastics may be contaminating our drinking water, according to a study published by researchers at the Geological Society of America. Their chemical threat stems largely from their ability to transport harmful compounds on their surfaces, meaning that when organisms at the base of the food chain ingest microplastics, they ingest toxins too. These toxins can build up and eventually result in responses like organ dysfunction, genetic mutation or even death. The researchers found bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used to make plastics, in all 47 human samples.

Attawapiskat residents want Canadian military help to deal with water 'state of emergency'

Attawapiskat residents want Canadian military help to deal with water 'state of emergency'

During an emotional community meeting Tuesday evening, residents of a northern Ontario First Nation grappling with water problems demanded their chief and council ask the Canadian military to step in. Attawapiskat Band Coun. Rosie Koostachin said community members passed a resolution at the meeting calling on their band council to request Ottawa bring in the Canadian Armed Forces' Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to provide clean water. 

Hundreds of Calgary homes may have water contaminated with lead

Hundreds of Calgary homes may have water contaminated with lead

A Calgary mom was unnerved to find out she and her two young children may have been drinking and bathing in lead-contaminated water at their home for the past year — and hundreds of other Calgarians are in the same boat. "It's just unnerving that we've been there for a year and that we could have been drinking lead water for the last year. There's a bit of a panic," she said, adding the situation feels out of her control because the rents the house, which is in Hillhurst.

Study sheds light on human consumption of microplastics

Study sheds light on human consumption of microplastics

The study found that a person's average microplastic consumption — based on those food items previously analyzed — would likely be somewhere between 70,000 and 121,000 particles per year. While younger girls were at the lower end of the spectrum, adult men were at the high end. People who consume a lot of bottled water could see that number jump by up to 100,000 particles per year. 

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