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.
Two conservation authorities in eastern Ontario have issued flood warnings for several rivers and watershed lakes in their areas, with flooding imminent or already occurring in some locations. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) issued its warning Saturday for areas around Bob's Lake in South Frontenac, Christie Lake in Tay Valley and the Tay River in Perth, Ont.
A flood warning remains in effect for the Rideau Valley watershed following Wednesday's ice storm. Many in the Kemptville area have properties under water. Mark Visser's front lawn is completely flooded. "You move stuff off the floor… hopefully it won't get wet and you hope for the best," he said. Rising water levels, coupled with an ice storm and the immediate melt pushed the Rideau River higher.
The Charlottetown water and sewer utility is starting its four-to-six-week spring maintenance beginning April 11. The program includes checks and biannual hydrant flushing. The hydrant flushing is done to keep water quality high and ensure the city has safe and clean drinking water. During flushing, hydrants will be operated at full capacity for around three to five minutes each until the water runs clear.
Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said he’s voiced his disappointment with the federal government’s decision not to include Sault Ste. Marie in the new Canada Water Agency. Shoemaker was meeting with federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, during his recent visit to Sault Ste. Marie. Alghabra met with a number of stakeholders from area industries to discuss the federal government’s Green Energy Tax Credit program.
I discovered one obvious reality when I moved to Manitoba in 2001: water is a big, big issue here. And it’s often news. Farm news. Agriculture news. Winnipeg news. Indigenous news. Environmental news. Sometimes it even gets to be national news. Whether it’s floods, droughts, water pollution, drainage, wetlands, sewage plant costs or Canada-U.S. river crossings, water issues are often the most important in the province.
Water levels fell so low in key reservoirs during the depth of California's drought that boat docks sat on dry, cracked land and cars drove into the centre of what should have been Folsom Lake. Those scenes are no more after a series of powerful storms dumped record amounts of rain and snow across California, replenishing reservoirs and bringing an end — mostly — to the state's three-year drought.
When 10-year-old Kade Steiger grows up, he wants to have a family. But climate change worries him a little. "What's their daily lives going to be, what's their children's daily lives going to be like for generations to come?" he said during an interview with What On Earth host Laura Lynch. Kade (above photo, right) is a Grade 5 student at Dr. Ken Sauer School in Medicine Hat, Alta., and his worries aren't unusual. Recent research shows that nearly 80 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 16 and 25 say climate change impacts their overall mental health.
As Teck Resources plans to distance itself from coal, government records show the mining giant remains a long way from solving the widespread contamination of local rivers and creeks — despite having already invested $1.2 billion in water treatment. Last year, selenium levels 267 times higher than what’s considered safe for aquatic life were detected in waters directly affected by Teck’s Elk Valley mines, according to an internal government meeting note obtained by The Narwhal through a freedom of information request.
The Newfoundland and Labrador government has released a new plan aimed at improving drinking water safety in the province. The provincial government said from 2017-2022, there have been an average of 191 boil water advisories, which affected 146 communities and about 44,000 people. In comparison, there were 350 boil water advisories throughout the province in 2001.
Kawartha Conservation is encouraging local landowners to continue to help Bring Back the Fish through the restoration of stream banks and efforts to reduce erosion. “Increased development of urban areas can lead to additional strain and cause challenges for fish habitat and water quality, which is why it is essential that we work with local landowners and municipal partners to protect local species,” stated Kawartha Conservation’s landowner and community support officer Danielle Marcoux-Hunter, noting the outstanding support the agency has received from community members in the past has been extremely beneficial.
Vivreau Water is pleased to announce its return as the official hydration partner for TED2023. This marks the company's sixth year providing sustainably-focused, premium still and sparkling water to conference attendees. Attendees can look forward to the latest advancements in Vivreau's water dispensing technology with advanced filtration capabilities and enhanced hygiene features available in the Top Pro and Extra I-Tap. Hydration is an essential part of maintaining mental clarity and focus, and Vivreau is proud to support TED2023 attendees in maximizing their conference experience.
Anyone who watched CTV’s W5 investigation into asbestos-cement water pipes probably went straight to the show’s website after the episode had finished to find out how many of those pipes are in Kelowna’s water system. CTV surveyed 100 Canadian municipalities to find out who has asbestos-cement pipes in their system. W5 came up with 195 kilometres of asbestos-cement pipes, or 32 per cent, in the Kelowna water system.
Water is often the most crucial factor in controlling crop yields. The amount of water used by crops can be affected by several factors including the availability of stored soil water, amount of precipitation during the growing season, crop rooting depth and various environmental aspects such as day length, amount of solar radiation, humidity, temperature and wind.
Metro Vancouver is warning its residents and businesses that water usage for lawns will be restricted beginning next month. Starting May 1, seasonal regulations that limit lawn watering to once per week will come into effect in an effort to conserve the region’s drinking water for the coming hot and dry months. “We are increasingly seeing variable weather patterns due to climate change, and we can’t always count on rainfall to replenish our water supply when we need it,” said George V. Harvie, Metro Vancouver board of directors chair.
A severe thunderstorm watch has ended for London, Ont. and Middlesex County area, however rain showers and a risk of thunderstorm remains in the forecast for Wednesday evening. A severe thunderstorm watch remained in place as of 4 p.m. for Elgin County, while watches in Huron-Perth, Oxford County, and Sarnia-Lambton had ended. Rainfall warnings remained in place for southern Huron and southern Perth counties, calling for rainfall amounts of between 30 and 50 millimetres.
The city is to take another look at portions of Utilities Kingston’s 2023 budget. Councillors unanimously approved a motion to defer implementation of a new set of rates. Contained within those rates were increases to bulk water charges and wastewater disposal charges that would translate to big price hikes for some Utilities Kingston customers, particularly in rural areas of the city.
The federal government says it's making Canada's largest investment ever in protecting the nation's sources of fresh water — including the Great Lakes. Commitments announced by the government during U.S. President Joe Biden's visit and in the recent budget bring the federal government's total investment to $750 million, said Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
The City of Whitehorse is facing a pricey upgrade to its water treatment system, after officials noticed changes in the quality of the city's groundwater in recent years. The proposal is to add a new filtration system, at a price of about $39 million — and the city is not yet sure where that money will come from. There's also a timeline, as the work would need to be done before the city's water licence comes up for renewal in five years. "At no time is our water not safe to drink," said Mike Firlotte, the city's water and wastewater services manager.
The level of lithium in a pregnant woman’s household’s tap water may correlate to a higher chance of their infant being diagnosed with autism, according to a new study looking at how this environmental factor may impact the prevalence of the neurological difference. The study, published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Pediatrics, looked at lithium levels in Denmark's tap water and compared it to the health records of more than 50,000 children.
Raging water is pouring out of the Fanshawe Dam as the flood control structure does its job to protect London. But the controlled release of water from Fanshawe Lake into the Thames River cannot stop shoreline flooding and fast-moving water. That’s especially true after a steady rainfall and expected thunderstorms Wednesday. “Things are moving very quickly and the water is high moving through the city right now,” said Teresa Hollingsworth with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority.
