REGIONAL VERSUS MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS

Regional government has the legal responsibility to provide potable water to the municipalities here in Waterloo Region. Unfortunately there is potable water and then there is potable water. The Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act of 2002 was necessitated by the massive screwup of governments at multiple levels in Walkerton, Ontario. Unfortunately whether due to intentional loopholes, loose language or simply no one enforcing it; various government bodies have learned to stickhandle around it. The Annual Drinking Water Quality Reports issued by the Region are almost hopeless. They are lacking in basic information plus they are riddled with acronyms and short forms making it nearly impossible for average citizens to read and understand them. The fact that they are on-line and hence available means little when they are so extremely user unfriendly.

Meanwhile go to your local Council as I did Tuesday evening only to hear the Mayor agree to Council's proposed action of sending my written Delegation to the Region and have Woolwich's head of Engineering contact the Region for information. Totally unsatisfactory. Woolwich Township have been contacted again by myself via two Councillors. Forever the optimist I will shortly see whether either one of them will step up to the plate and take immediate action to ensure safe drinking water for the scenic village of West Montrose. Their source water has bacteria in it including E.Coli. This is dangerous and results in ongoing disinfection by chlorine and chloramines. In turn these chemicals produce toxic by-products of disinfection.