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.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a moderate bloom with a severity level of 2-6 on a scale of 1-10 for western Lake Erie this summer. The U.S. federal agency issued a bulletin last week after collecting data of phosphorus discharge into the Maumee River which dumps into the lake. "The range in forecasted severity reflects the uncertainty in forecasting precipitation for late June and July," the NOAA bulletin stated.
On a sunny Tuesday evening in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., Derek and Julia Erasmus cook up a dinner of waffles and sausages as their two young daughters play outside. Watching them, you wouldn't know just how difficult the past two years have been. They were one of 10 families who lost their house when the community flooded in 2021. "It's kind of just a huge life-changing event," Derek said. "We kind of thought we were going to retire in that house some day … then those plans were all gone after that."
Coastal GasLink has been issued stop work orders on a stretch of pipeline construction for the second time in just over a week, the latest in a pattern of environmental violations for polluting sensitive waterways. The pipeline project crosses about 625 lakes, rivers, creeks, wetlands, and streams in northern B.C. On Tuesday, the BC Environmental Assessment Office Compliance and Enforcement Branch said it had issued four stop work orders to Coastal GasLink late last week because erosion and sediment were negatively impacting the upper Anzac River watershed, about 130 kilometres northeast of Prince George.
Giving a breakdown of costs, Bomben explained $5 million is for engineering and design, $130M is for water works and the remaining $70M is for “similar vintage and condition sewer lines.” “These must be replaced at the same time as the water mains since the failure of the sewer lines could also impact adjacent infrastructure and potentially cause the water system to fail. It would be far more costly and disruptive to the community to excavate the same road system twice to replace these systems at different times.”
Nooks Lindell was sitting in his home, having tea with his cousin, two summers ago when he saw a group of people working out on the land outside his home. He later learned the people were surveyors looking at the land as the potential site of Arviat's new fuel tank farm. "I was shocked. I was pretty upset," Lindell said of finding out about the potential tank farm location. Lindell lives in the home where he grew up in Arviat. He and his partner are raising their two young children there. "I spent the last two years at home being a stay at home ataata (father) … so I've spent a lot of time looking out the window right where they're going to put that tank farm," he said.
Flood-impacted Manitobans with private wells and cisterns can test their water supply for free, as the province pushes to waive off fees temporarily. The move will subsidize costs related to water testing. In an announcement on May 8, the province said the push aims to lift some of the financial burdens caused by flooding. It comes into effect Monday and ends on Aug. 31.
A water quality advisory has been issued for residents on the Falcon Ridge water system off Highway 33. An email statement from the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) states that increased turbidity in the Mission Creek water source from the annual snowpack melt has resulted in water quality that might impact children, the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems.
It took Claude Méthot a couple of days to fully comprehend the extent of the damage to his farm in Baie-Saint-Paul, Que. He says the land that he bought three years ago has been cultivated for hundreds of years. The fields that had been ready for another season of wheat, corn or oats are now covered with sand and clay. "We will not be able to farm this field anymore," said Méthot. He figures he's lost about 10 per cent of his land. "It's a primal, visceral fear and shock just to see where there was this gorgeous wheat field last year. Now it's a river."
Securing a safe water supply for Earth’s growing population is a global goal that is reflected in the long-term sustainability plans of almost every nation. Creatively solving this problem is another matter altogether. University of Saskatchewan graduate student Bernd Steiger is using chemistry expertise and Saskatchewan-based waste to soak up contaminants in fresh water reserves. “This province can be considered the breadbasket of Canada with its large agricultural sector,” Steiger noted. “Agro-waste (such as the inedible part of a plant, for example) is a low-value byproduct of agriculture, and turning this waste material into specialty adsorbents can aide in generating additional wealth for the Sask. agro-economy, while also serving to address water security and sustainability goals.” Steiger’s work uses several principles of what is referred to as ‘green chemistry’ — a type of chemistry that avoids a need for conventional chemical or energy inputs.
What’s behind this rapid increase isn’t totally clear yet. “These temperatures just rocketed up, people haven’t had a chance to puzzle it all out,” Johnson said. Some scientists are concerned the scale of these new records could mark the start of an alarming trend. Others say record-breaking temperatures like these are always concerning but to be expected given the human-caused climate crisis. All agree the consequences are likely to be significant. Warmer oceans bleach coral, kill marine life, increase sea level rise and make the ocean less efficient at absorbing planet-warming pollution – the warmer oceans get, the more the planet will heat.
In 1951, a man in Hay River, N.W.T., drowned after the town experienced devastating flooding. The cause of the flooding was the same thing that caused the 2022 floods: ice jams. But a 1988 report by the federal government details that a flood prevention measure that had been used the previous three years wasn't used in 1951. This was the practice of ice blasting, using explosives to blow up river ice and prevent jamming. "Because of the flooding in 1951, an extensive blasting program was undertaken in the spring of 1952," the report said.
A New Brunswick filmmaker is diving into his passion by producing an under-water film to draw attention to the quality of rivers across Canada. Shelley Steeves has more as Harrison Burton hopes his film will encourage all levels of government to invest more in studying Canada’s vast number of freshwater lakes.
The B.C. government has ordered Coastal GasLink to stop work on a section of pipeline near Prince George after officials found sediment-laden water being "pumped into an area that ran into tributaries of the Anzac River." In an email to CBC News, B.C.'s Environmental Assessment Office said there were "negative impacts" to a fish-bearing stream, a matter it takes "very seriously."
The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) announced late Friday night that the Kalamalka Lake water source has been turned off effective immediately due to increased turbidity. Customers of Greater Vernon Water (GVW) will be affected by this. The RDNO said the decision to remove the Kalamalka Lake water source was based on increased turbidity at the drinking water system intake.
Every time you flush, the waste disappears in a swirly whirl, never to be seen again. It’s magic! Actually, it’s science and engineering. And the flush is just the start. Let’s follow that flush! First stop: The sewer pipe. This is where your business mingles with all the other household wastewater. You know, the scummy stuff that gets rinsed off your dishes and clothes and body. In older cities like Chicago, stormwater and runoff joins the party, too. That’s because Chicago has what’s called a combined sewer system.
Now the Haughians say they're living a "nightmare" where the landfill has contaminated the water, forcing them to sell the home to the township. Mayor Arie Hoogenboom said the couple might have to leave once the sale is complete because it is a "liability" to the township if they stay and puts their health and safety at risk. The Haughians argue they're fine where they are, citing a filtration system and bottled water provided by the township. If they have to leave, they at least want to have a say on when.
Federal environmental authorities have launched a formal investigation into a tailings leak at Imperial Oil's Kearl oilsands mine in northern Alberta. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) announced Thursday it is investigating a suspected contravention of the Fisheries Act, which prohibits the "deposit of a deleterious substance into water frequented by fish," or any place where such substances could enter fish-bearing water.
