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.
A years-long effort to address chronic flooding in Tantramar is a step closer to completion. The southeastern New Brunswick town, which includes Sackville, started work on a multi-phase flood mitigation project in 2017. It involves upgraded drainage systems, a series of holding ponds and an upgraded aboiteau that discharges the water into the tidal Tantramar River. The aboiteau allows water to go out, but not flow back in.
In 2019, Health Canada set new health-based drinking water guidelines for manganese, an essential element present in various foods. High concentrations can cause discoloured water and staining, but new research found it also impacts health. Long-term exposure in high concentrations impact childhood development, especially for infants who are fed formula prepared with tap water.
Pipelines could be coming down the pike as a coalition of farmers, industry experts, and local politicians are attempting to construct an irrigation network across Niagara to stave off the worsening effects of climate change. Finding a solution to water scarcity has become more and more pressing as climate change has led to an increase in droughts across the Niagara region.
Residents of an East Valley rural community have been dealing with an impending water crisis for nearly a year. Last November, the city of Scottsdale sent a letter to residents of Rio Verde Foothills letting them know water hauling services, the main way hundreds of the rural area's homes get water, would be cut off at year's end as a part of Scottsdale's drought contingency plan.
The City of Sault Ste. Marie will continue to urge Transport Canada to provide an acceptable solution that will see potable water available at the Pointe Des Chenes campground and day park. But that doesn’t change the status of the campground – at least until potable water is available. Council confirmed that they want staff to continue to press the issue with the federal government, specifically Transport Canada, who is said to be the root cause of the benzene concentrations in the water supply.
Rebecca Zagozewski, executive director of the Saskatchewan First Nations Water Association, said she has seen contractors save on costs when building water treatment plants on reserves by using obsolete parts and failing to include maintenance manuals, ventilation or chemical rooms, and bathrooms. “Engineering companies will put in their bids obviously as low as they can go,” said Zagozewski.
There’s hope at the end of a long water pipe for Verner residents who have endured ‘brown water’ issues for decades. The culprit is high levels of manganese, a naturally occurring mineral in the Veuve River. And it’s been a problem ever since the water plant was built in the 1970s. On Tuesday, West Nipissing council received a report that recommends connecting the community of 1,100 people to municipal water services as the best solution.
Maitland Conservation (MC), formerly Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MCVA), has been monitoring two agricultural sub-watersheds to address water quality concerns and the effects of farming practices on local water. Ben Van Dieten, Agricultural Stewardship Technician, and Chris Van Esbroeck, Stewardship Services Coordinator of MC, presented their findings to date on these projects, in terms of how and when sediment and nutrients leave the landscape, and the practices they promote to reduce these losses.
