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.
Wheatley's water treatment plant might not to be return to normal operations for a year or more, but a boil-water advisory isn't expected to last that long, officials said Wednesday. The communities of Wheatley and Tilbury in Chatham-Kent have been under a boil-water advisory for a week after fire caused damage to the water treatment facility.
Our most valuable resource is water, which we frequently take for granted. World Water Day is observed on March 22, and this year’s message is about change; it encourages us to change how we use, consume and manage water in our daily lives. There are several steps that homeowners can take to ensure their water is safe for their homes and consumption. I always recommend homeowners get their water tested, no matter where they live, but particularly outside urban centres or if they rely on a well source.
An environmental group in Nova Scotia says a gold mine is responsible for high levels of arsenic in waterways nearby. Members of Water is Life Nova Scotia have been doing regular water testing near the tailings dam at the Touquoy Gold Mine located in Moose River, about 65 kilometres northeast of Halifax. What they discovered in late August near Scraggy Lake, which is located next to the mine, prompted them to come back and take more water samples.
Results from recent water tests in the Belleisle Bay reveal abnormally high levels of E. coli. When tested in late September, the Belleisle Watershed Coalition determined E. coli levels in the bay were an average 257 per 100 millilitres of water. That's 367 times higher than the average level of 0.7 E. coli per 100 millilitres detected in August. Some of these levels exceed what Health Canada considers to be safe for recreation, which for the measuring technique used, is less than 200 per 100 millilitres of water. In drinking water, Health Canada recommends no detectable E. coli.
The Saskatchewan government is accusing federal government employees of trespassing when taking water samples in Saskatchewan. The allegation prompted a public letter from Saskatchewan's minister responsible for water security to his counterpart in Ottawa. On Saturday, Saskatchewan's cabinet approved an order in council tweaking the province's trespassing laws, the Trespass to Property Act 2022, "to add a new section regarding the Act and state that 'person' includes the Crown in right of Canada."
Residents in Greater Victoria are being advised not to enter the water at two shoreline locations due to wastewater discharge after heavy rain. The two affected shorelines are between Tarn Place and Seaview Road (Cadboro Bay), and between Radcliffe Lane and Trafalgar Park (McNeil Bay). Warning signs have been put up at beaches in both areas, and will only be removed after tests confirm bacteria levels are below acceptable levels.
An independent audit is to be conducted into a mental-health hospital in northwestern Saskatchewan following water tests that showed higher than normal levels of copper and lead, says a government official. Mike Carr, deputy minister of central services, says the province learned Oct. 17 that there were some questions about water quality at the Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford. Water testing at the mental-health facility “showed irregularities and inconsistency in the results that indicate levels of copper or lead may be higher than desirable levels,” Carr said Friday. “It’s been preliminary testing,” he added. “We felt, out of an abundance of caution, we should take steps to ensure that all users of that facility have access to good drinking water.”
