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 great deal more attention is being paid to polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) in City drinking water after it was revealed In 2017, testing on Lees Creek showed the waterway is polluted with PFAS from the airbase base located just upstream. "North Bay has undertaken a study to evaluate options for enhancing its water treatment process to meet potential future regulatory changes related to per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS)," says a news release from the City today.
Halifax Water has determined its drinking water in the Burnside area of Dartmouth is safe after it reported potentially high levels of chlorine early Sunday. The water utility said in a release issued overnight that it "experienced an issue" with its water treatment plant in Burnside that could temporarily cause the higher levels. The utility said a few hundred customers in the area were advised to run cold water from their taps if they smelled a strong odour of chlorine.
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.
Water is flowing through the taps once again in Big Grassy River First Nation after three months without consistent, potable water. However, the current water is untreated and coming directly from Lake of the Woods as the community waits for repairs to the water filtration system. The result is that community members have had to go to the beach to collect water for basic sanitation needs, and buildings have been shuttered and the school remains closed to students until a running, drinkable water service is restored.
