Often the comments are better than the blog:
Monday, April, 02, 2012 - 12:12:15 PM Contributed
This is the portion of the report from David Williamson's well water test that advises him to boil potentially unsafe water.
Williamson has submitted the samples to the Ministry of the Environment and is awaiting the results of an investigation.
Resident advised to boil well water By Matthew Strader, Enterprise Staff
The Ministry of the Environment will investigate the possible contamination of water flowing from a resident’s well near the Tottenham pit. At a public information session held by consultants for Brock Aggregates on March 26, members of the public were told that should they have concerns about contaminated well water if the pit at Highway 9 and Mount Wolfe gets its approval, then take it to the ministry and they will determine who is at fault.
Palgrave resident Dean Williamson, who lives on Highcrest Road, south of the Tottenham pit location at Mount Wolfe Road and Highway 9, is taking his concerns to the ministry after receiving a failed water test from the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion.
He’s been advised to boil his water before consuming it.
Brock Aggregates has applied with the Ministry of Natural Resources to amend the license for the pit and increase the amount of extraction below the water table. A local group of concerned citizens is opposing the approval, and contaminated water is just one of their concerns.
Williamson has owned his property for five years. After he and his wife experienced intestinal discomforts over the past couple years, and discussions of the expansion of the Tottenham pit began, Williamson said they decided to have their well water tested. And now they’re boiling drinking water.
“It scared us,” he said. “Absolutely. It’s drinking water, and it’s very important.” Williamson said it’s a weird feeling to have a shower in the morning and wonder if something will make him sick from water in his eye, or ears. He said it’s weird to brush your teeth and focus on ingesting water. “It’s a pretty basic requirement of life (water) and yes, it’s scary to have to think about it this way.”
Williamson doesn’t know if the pit is at fault, and isn’t jumping to conclusions, but he may be the first in the area taking steps to find out. His tests, so far, have been on the water directly from his well. It came back with a warning of unsafe to drink, a boiling advisory basically, and he was advised by the person he dealt with from the Ontario Agency for Health to send the results to the ministry asking for an investigation and do some further testing of the water after it has passed through the various filters it goes through before it enters his home.
The Palgrave family will now wait for the ministry to respond and further test results to come in.
Meanwhile, they will be boiling their drinking water.
Are you reading this Melancthon Councillors? Ready to take a public stand yet??
ReplyDeleteHere is the link to the article:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.caledonenterprise.com/news/resident-advised-to-boil-well-water/
"Williamson doesn’t know if the pit is at fault, and isn’t jumping to conclusions"
ReplyDeleteHe's not jumping to conclusions, but minebuster sure is...(as usual).
If Ken Cressey's horrible experience is an example of how the Ministry of the Environment reacts to gravel pits poisoning our air and water, I have little hope for these poor people in Palgrave. And I have little hope for the people in Dufferin County (and south) if the mega quarry isn't stopped, because we'll ALL be boiling our water. After we buy it back from Baupost....
ReplyDeleteIt sure puts everyone on notice. I will wait to see how the water tests for others before passing judgement, MoE is understaffed to do all the checking and enforcement, leaving a proponent in charge of the checks and balances is never a good idea and the residents should be the last to have to figure out, and pay for, who spoils their water.
ReplyDeleteWe are in the same boat in North Dufferin, if the Highland Companies application is granted by the powers to be, and once the water is spoiled for human consumption, there is no turning back the clock and undue the damage. The only safe solution for Ontario's Source Water is not to ever allow its excavation, wherever that Source Water maybe in this beautiful province. There has to be a better way.
Carl Cosack