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.
Five days after a contractor damaged water and sewer lines that forced a community near Calgary to declare a state of emergency, repairs are underway. On Oct. 21, the City of Cochrane revealed that an unnamed contractor, doing work to twin the town’s sewer line, “impacted” sewage and water lines while preparing to drill. The two ruptures sent sewage and water into the Bow River, Cochrane and Calgary’s water source. The significant loss of water reduced the town’s water availability.
Utilities Kingston has launched a new video campaign reminding residents and restaurants to stop dumping cooking grease down the drain. The YouTube video shows a utility worker wading through murky, knee-deep water to clear a sewage blockage inside a sewage pumping station. "It's toilet waters and solids, anything going down someone's kitchen sink or coming out of someone's washing machine," said Heather Roberts, director of waste and water services for Utilities Kingston, describing the water in the video.
The recent decision to reactivate several Vancouver-owned fountains that use millions of litres of drinking water annually is being scrutinized as B.C. officials sound the alarm about worsening drought conditions across the province. The five fountains are not capable of recirculating water, meaning that water is pumped in, used once and flushed into the sewer – something Park Board Commissioner Tom Digby considers wasteful.
The City of Rossland received a healthy grant from the Canada Community Building Fund to help support its infrastructure. Rossland received $284,445 to complete a Utility Master Plan. The Plan will provide detailed condition assessments of the existing storm drainage, sanity sewer and water distribution networks, which will allow for a much anticipated infrastructure replacement and renewal efforts.
With the dramatic temperature increases and climate change over the past years, water consumption has risen dramatically across the globe. Despite being a critical asset, water is undervalued across many parts of the world, and its use is largely unsustainable. The rise in water demand coupled with limited supply and uneven distribution are leading to water stress across the various region around the globe. Water losses are often caused by inadequate maintenance of the distribution network. With a 75- to 100-year lifespan, much of America's underground pipes are due for replacement. Based on an analysis by the American Water Works Association, approximately one-third of water mains nationwide will require replacement by 2040.
When it comes to understanding where the COVID-19 virus might be turning up in high numbers, the answer could be in the water. Wastewater, to be exact. Testing wastewater, as well as monitoring social media, can give an idea of how prevalent the virus is in specific areas. While many parts of Canada are imposing restrictions on testing for the virus, Lawrence Goodridge, a professor of food microbiology at the University of Guelph, is learning how testing water from sewers and water treatment plants can be a valuable tool in tracing the virus.
Semiahmoo First Nation could have potable water – something they haven’t had in more than a decade – as early as next spring, after signing a pair of servicing agreements with the City of Surrey Monday. The agreements, signed at Surrey’s council meeting, also mean sanitary-sewer infrastructure and water for fire protection for the first time in the nation’s history.
