Bruce Davidson from Walkerton, Ont. tells the sad story of the Walkerton tragedy of May 2000 when a rain storm washed cow manure from farm land into Well #5, one of the wells that supplied water for the Walkerton community.
People drank water that looked OK and tasted OK for at least four days. They became ill and seven died. A couple thousand now live with the residual effects of drinking water that contained E. coli: 0157:H7.
Davidson’s reminder that communities cannot take their water supply for granted was a powerful one.
Anyone who sat in the audience at the Grand Forks Secondary School auditorium in March and listened to Davidson and Al Grant from Rock Creek must have left the session wondering about their local water supply.
As British Columbians and Canadians, do we have a right to safe drinking water and sanitation? Can we assume that a safe water supply will be available to us in perpetuity?
Are potential sources of contaminants being ignored? Do municipal and regional districts across the province have adequate protection for the people who depend on them for a supply of potable water?
Residents who enjoy water and wastewater services have grown to trust their local, regional and provincial governments when it comes to their health and welfare, but should they do so blindly?
If they follow Davidson’s advice, they will approach matters, such as the provision of safe drinking water and safe sewage disposal proactively. It is their responsibility to do so.
The future quality and quantity of water supplies in Boundary communities will depend on the value placed on them and the willingness of people to protect and preserve them. In that regard, local and regional governments play a huge role.
With the arrival of spring and the threat of flooding as the snow pillow in the mountains melts, water is on the minds of most everyone.
A fast melt is cause for concern and the emergency response team will have to be on high alert.
Summer will follow and water use restrictions could become the norm. Lawns should turn from green to pale brown and gardens should get only their fair share of the precious liquid.
In 2010, the Regional District of Kootenay formed the Kettle River Watershed Review Committee, “To develop a collaborative watershed management plan for the Kettle River involving multiple government agencies, non-governmental stakeholders and the general public . . .”
The committee’s recommendations on water quantity will include options for water conservation, water allocations, land use regulation, considerations affecting water availability, such as climate change, mitigation strategies relating to drought and seasonal flooding and ground water availability and management.
Water quality recommendations will be concerned with land use and development considerations to protect the quality of the water supply, including the aquifers that are vulnerable to contamination and the protection and restoration of habitat and riparian areas throughout the region.
Water quality and quantity are not just local or regional issues. A couple of conferences on water were held recently in Marseilles, France: the Alternative World Water Forum (AWWF) and the World Water Forum (WWF), where both quality and quantity were discussed.
The aim of AWWF is to keep water systems in public hands while the WWF supports private management of water supplies.
Joao Ferreira, a Portuguese member of parliament, expressed concerns about water system privatization. Ferreira said, “Whoever controls water controls a great source of power and of course a great source of profit.” Ferreira also says that privatization will have disastrous outcomes.
We are fortunate in Canada to have well-organized groups of activists like the Council of Canadians championing the cause of humans worldwide for the right to clean drinking water and proper sanitation.
Maude Barlow, chair of the council, is known to be a fierce proponent of publicly owned and operated water services.
The privatization of water systems in British Columbia may not appear to be an issue to most residents at this time. However, municipal and regional governments are struggling to find funding for upgrades to both water and waste water systems.
Multinational water management companies would love to help the city and regional district out.
– Roy Ronaghan is a columnist for the Grand Forks Gazette.
