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.
According to a Capital Regional District official, finding free-living nematodes, even deceased ones, at a drinking water tap in the Greater Victoria Drinking Water System is highly unlikely. “While Greater Victoria’s drinking water is unfiltered, it receives multiple stages of disinfection treatment that would kill any aquatic organism before the water reaches the consumer’s taps,” said Andy Orr.
The prevalent plan is to extract water from the fine dust deposits found in the moon’s north and south poles and separate it into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen would be used as fuel to allow space travel beyond the moon, while the oxygen would be utilized to sustain life. At the moon’s north pole alone, an estimated 60 million tonnes of water is available for extraction. “If we convert all of that water into shuttle fuel, we could launch a shuttle per day for more than 2,000 years, just with the water that’s at the north pole,” said Dale Boucher, ISRU and Space Mining Consultant. “There’s a lot of water on the moon. It’s not as dry as we thought it would be.”
Cambridge council is set to consider a motion that could see public water fountains returned to the city’s downtown. The motion, tabled by Ward 7 councillor Scott Hamilton, is on the agenda for Tuesday’s council meeting. The argument made is, while Canada is home to around 20 per cent of the world’s freshwater reserves, downtown Cambridge is a dry spot when it comes to readily accessible drinking water.
A late spring heat wave is prompting the Region of Waterloo to remind residents of the need to conserve water when possible as the annual water conservation bylaw takes effect. On Friday, the region said during these heatwaves it is important for residents to adhere to using outdoor water only when needed and only on their designated watering day.
The temperature has been in the thirties in London this week, which according to CBC's climate dashboard, that's approximately 10 C above average. It follows a very dry May. Hodgins said it's important to recognize that if the leaves coming off your tree are falling in clumps, it's likely the work of thirsty squirrels looking for moisture in the juicy leaves or flushing out their nests. "Clusters of five or six leaves are squirrels. Individuals leaves falling are a symptom of a tree conserving water," Hodgins said. She said vulnerable species of trees right now are silver maples, willows and London plane trees, or Sycamores.
Alberta Health Services has ordered Calgary to issue a boil water advisory for three communities, effective immediately. The advisory applies to Silverado, Yorkville and Belmont until further notice. A watermain break Thursday afternoon disrupted water supply to a large portion of those communities at the far southwest corner of the city, and while water has been restored to most homes, the city says the advisory has been issued out of an abundance of caution.
The City of Ottawa has issued a warning about scam callers impersonating its water meter replacement program representatives to request setting up appointments. The city’s small water meter replacement program does not call residents to book appointments, the advisory said. The small water meter replacement program is a partnership involving the City of Ottawa and Neptune Technology Group. When Neptune is in a specified community, residents will receive information at home prompting them to book appointments when spots are available.
Arizona will not approve new housing construction on the fast-growing edges of metro Phoenix that rely on groundwater thanks to years of overuse and a multi-decade drought that is sapping its water supply. Gov. Katie Hobbs recently announced the restrictions that could affect some of the fastest-growing suburbs of the nation’s fifth-largest city. Officials said developers could still build in the affected areas but would need to find alternative water sources to do so – such as surface or recycled water.
Three southwest Calgary communities are under a boil water advisory due to a watermain break Thursday afternoon at a nearby construction site. It appears as though an excavator ruptured a pipe, resulting in a large pool of water flooding a portion of the site. Alberta Health Services (AHS) says residents in Silverado, Yorkville, and Belmont are advised to bring tap water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before consumption.
Dalhousie’s global ranking of eighth for work on Sustainable Development Goal 14, Life below water, sits at the top of a list of Dal successes in this year’s Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. It’s the highest national placement for this category, positioning Dal as the Canadian leader for this important goal. This year, Dalhousie ranks top 50 in the world for: SDG 14: Life below water — first in Canada and eighth in the world, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation — third in Canada and 17th in the world, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production — second in Canada and 19th in the world, SDG 15: Life on land — seventh in Canada and 31st in the world, SDG 2: Zero hunger — seventh in Canada and 36th in the world, SDG 13: Climate action — sixth in Canada and tied for 48th in the world
Homes and businesses along 7th Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street (that include people with weakened immune systems or those wanting to take extra precautions) are advised to boil water for at least one full minute before drinking, washing fruits and vegetables, making beverages (or ice) or brushing teeth. People can also use an alternate water source if they wish. “We’ve got the water main fixed,” Invermere Mayor Al Miller told the Pioneer, adding that the advisory was issued mostly as a precaution since the water main was in fact opened up during the work. Miller isn’t sure why the water main broke, although he suggested “it may have had something to do with the natural play we sometimes see as a result of winter frost.”
A mysterious patch of fluorescent green water that appeared in Venice's famed Grand Canal Sunday was caused by a chemical commonly used in underwater construction to help identify leaks, environmental authorities say. The chemical – fluorescein – is non-toxic. It remains unclear how the substance ended up in the canal, but the Regional Agency for the Environment in Venice (ARPAV) said given the volume released it was unlikely to be an accident.
Residents in Meaford have officially been given the all-clear to use their water again after a “do-not-consume” advisory was issued on Sunday. City officials declared the “do-not-consume” advisory over Wednesday night after receiving confirmation from the Grey Bruce medical officer of health, Dr. Ian Arra, that the water from the municipal water system was safe to drink. While the advisory has been lifted, the municipality says the state of emergency remains in place. The municipality issued the emergency Sunday following concerns about contaminants leaching into the ground and the water supply in Georgian Bay around Johnny B’s Automotive and Car Care following the fire.
"Boiled or bottled water should be used to prepare formula, bottles and baby food, wash vegetables and fruit that will be eaten raw, prepare beverages (including coffee), wash dishes, and brush teeth and rinse mouths," the release said. "Please discard all food, including ice, prepared with tap water after the date and time of this advisory. It is also recommended that you give your pets previously boiled and cooled water." Municipality spokesperson Maude Prud'homme-Séguin said the advisory was prompted by low water pressure in the network.
The City of Hamilton is examining the possibility of new relief or rebate programs to help low-income residents amidst a surge in the number of unpaid water bills. Senior policy advisor John Savoie says such arrears have soared in Hamilton in recent years, reaching 20,000 accounts last year with total unpaid amounts hitting $4.4 million. “Unpaid after 60 days, it gets transferred to the property’s tax roll,” said Savoie. “We have seen over the last five years or so, the number and the value of those tax roll transfers have more than doubled.” Savoie added that 90 per cent of last year’s unpaid water bills were residential.
A group of engineering students says it's found a way to make drinking fountains available year-round in Toronto, and is calling on the city to pour out the funds to make that vision a reality. The solution sprang from a University of Toronto class project on technology for global development, where five students were tasked with finding a way to make drinking fountains operational throughout the year.
Changes to the City of Ottawa’s Property Tax and Water Utility Deferral Program will now allow more low-and-fixed income seniors and disability recipients to qualify. This year’s qualifying income threshold is $48,441, which uses the Consumer Price Index to factor in the current cost of living. The changes to the program include: Expanding eligibility of low-income seniors from only 65 and over to include those between 60 to 64 who receive an allowance under the Old Age Security Act, and people 55 and older who are on pension or collect from a pension annuity. The requirement for applicants to have their accounts current has been removed
Halifax Water says its water supply remains safe as a wildfire burns just a few kilometres away from one of its large watersheds. The utility operates a pumping station and water treatment facility at Pockwock Lake, which supplies water to the Lower Sackville, Bedford and Halifax areas. That facility sits just northwest of where the fire is burning, and is located inside an emergency zone. "We are checking water samples, including additional water samples, to make sure the quality of the water stays consistently safe," Jeff Myrick, the utility's communications manager, told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Nova Scotia on Wednesday.
