The Government of Canada Works with First Nation to end three long-term Drinking Water Advisories at Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.
Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, announced new investments that will lift three long-term drinking water advisories at the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.
Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation is contributing approximately $2.3 million toward this project and through the significant efforts of Chief Kelly LaRocca, secured an additional $4.6 million from the Small Communities Fund, a partnership between the Governments of Canada and Ontario to help bring needed infrastructure projects to communities in the province.
"The Government of Canada is working with First Nation communities and our federal and provincial partners to bring dependable sources of clean, safe drinking water to First Nation residents across the country.
Today’s investment will enable the community to lift three long-term drinking water advisories at Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.
Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs "Once our water treatment plant has been constructed, we will be able to end three long-term drinking water advisories in Scugog First Nation.
Having a new water treatment plant will provide safe, clean drinking water in our members’ homes."
Quick Facts As part of a long-term strategy, the Government of Canada is working with First Nations on sustainable approaches to eliminate long-term drinking water advisories affecting public systems financially supported by INAC by March 2021, and to prevent new long-term advisories from happening.
Seven long-term drinking water advisories (LTDWA) have been lifted in six Ontario First Nation communities between November 2015 and May 2017.
Progress was achieved in part through the tripartite water working group, which brings together experts from the Government of Canada (Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and Health Canada), the Government of Ontario (Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change), and the Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation.

All the baseline testing done by Paul and Jessica Brooks on their well on Brook Line north of Chatham has allowed them to prove their well was fine before pile driving began north of their home for North Kent Wind Farm project.
After contacting the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), the wind farm company owned partially by Pattern Development was notified of the problem.
Test results from the MOECC received at 3:56 p.m. showed extremely elevated turbidity levels at 86.8 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units).
Private testing recommended by Water Wells First conducted at the Brooks’ home – a triplicate test for turbidity taken by a hydrogeologist following legal chain of custody requirements – revealed consistent turbidity values of 2.53 NTU, 3.02 NTU, 2.96 NTU.
“The comparison between these tests indicates that the Brooks’ family well water suddenly increased 30 times in turbidity,” Jakubec said, which refutes the statement made by the Pattern employee.
Pattern Development has provided the Brooks with a water tank for their household needs immediately as is required by Section G of the REA permit.
Jakubec said Chatham-Kent Coun.
Pictures of water taken from the Brooks water filters shows the water to be extremely murky and contradict the Pattern Development employee statement that the water is ” visibly clear.” “The company is obligated by REA permit conditions to immediately provide a water tank at no cost to the family and provide a sequence of remedial measures to restore reliable groundwater access at no cost to the family,” Jakubec said.
“If the company cannot restore reliable groundwater access, the company will have to supply the family with a water line at the company’s expense.” Jakubec said he was told by Murray that a further meeting with the Brooks family was planned for this week.
At press time, four families in North Kent had reported sediment was clogging up the filters on their wells, resulting in no water.

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE (August 15, 2017) – Harmful algal blooms known to pose risks to human and environmental health in large freshwater reservoirs and lakes are projected to increase because of climate change, according to a team of researchers led by a Tufts University scientist.
The team developed a modeling framework that predicts that the largest increase in cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) would occur in the Northeast region of the United States, but the biggest economic harm would be felt by recreation areas in the Southeast.
The research, which is published in print today in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, is part of larger, ongoing efforts among scientists to quantify and monetize the degree to which climate change will impact and damage various U.S. sectors.
"Our study shows that higher water temperature, changes in rainfall, and increased nutrient inputs will combine to cause more frequent occurrence of harmful algal blooms in the future," he added.
Throughout their 3.5 billion-year-old evolutionary history, these organisms have proven resilient and adaptable to a wide range of climates.
It is among the few studies to combine climate projections with a hydrologic/water quality network model of U.S. lakes and reservoirs.
Finally, these water flows and reservoir states are entered into a water quality model to simulate a number of water quality characteristics, including cyanobacteria concentrations, in each of the nation’s waterbodies.
The end result is a framework that can predict the combined impact of climate, population growth, and other factors on future water quality for different U.S. regions.
The research was supported by the U.S. EPA and the U.S. National Science Foundation, and access to the reservoir datasets from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Environmental Science & Technology.

Runner aims to raise awareness of clean water issue in Canada.
It was at a social gathering more than a year ago that nursing school graduate Hasan Syed came to a shocking revelation of the clean drinking water problem that still plagues Canada.
“When you think of Canada, you don’t think a problem like having access to a clean water would exist here.
They then started a campaign that would have him run from Vancouver to Ottawa – spanning roughly 4,500 kilometres — to bring awareness of the ongoing water crisis in First Nations.
“I did about 24 kilometres that day – literally went from zero to 24,” Syed said, of the campaign’s start.
He said he was “in pain” and couldn’t walk properly for hours.
Syed now drives from city to city and runs – and walks – in the community, still aiming to hit the 4,500-kilometre goal.
Marie stop at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion on Sunday, as he waited for people to join him on a three-kilometre run, Syed told The Sault Start that next to the physical challenges, trying to maintain positivity is a tough task.
Sault native Ruth Galinis was one of them.
Syed’s next stop is Sudbury.

Rabat – The rate of access to drinking water in rural areas is expected to reach 96.5 percent by the end of 2017, with the state investing more than MAD 1 million in water supply projects, announced Secretary of State in charge of Water, Charafat Afilal, during the July 25 parliamentary session.
The government is in a critical position with regards to water policy.
This leaves various communities and economic activities vulnerable to water scarcity, according to World Resources Institute, which has led to the current regional demonstrations on water scarcity.
Responding to the critical condition of water levels in Morocco, Afilal said that the state has taken all the necessary measures to ameliorate water supply distribution, through the projects like the construction of dams and regional drainage canals.
Afilal stated that these measures also include maximum usage of water resources including surface water, the deepening of wells to increase water flows, and the organization of awareness campaigns to save water, with a view towards ending water deficiency before summer 2019.
As some municipalities not covered by the ONEE are experiencing difficulties during the summer period, provisional measures have been taken in around 30 areas to improve the water supply condition.
At the end of 2017, an additional flow of approximately 19.3 m3 / sec As well as the installation of 1,530 km of drainage channels and 1,085 km of distribution channels, will be impelented said the state secretary.
These policies, according to Afilal, will make it possible to increase the rate of connection to the sewage networks in urban areas.
MAD 2.8 million was invested in water supply during 2014-2017, consisting of the production and distribution of drinking water and the improvement of the drainage and distribution network.
0 Join the Conversation.

Rabat – The rate of access to drinking water in rural areas is expected to reach 96.5 percent by the end of 2017, with the state investing more than MAD 1 million in water supply projects, announced Secretary of State in charge of Water, Charafat Afilal, during the July 25 parliamentary session.
The government is in a critical position with regards to water policy.
This leaves various communities and economic activities vulnerable to water scarcity, according to World Resources Institute, which has led to the current regional demonstrations on water scarcity.
Responding to the critical condition of water levels in Morocco, Afilal said that the state has taken all the necessary measures to ameliorate water supply distribution, through the projects like the construction of dams and regional drainage canals.
Afilal stated that these measures also include maximum usage of water resources including surface water, the deepening of wells to increase water flows, and the organization of awareness campaigns to save water, with a view towards ending water deficiency before summer 2019.
As some municipalities not covered by the ONEE are experiencing difficulties during the summer period, provisional measures have been taken in around 30 areas to improve the water supply condition.
At the end of 2017, an additional flow of approximately 19.3 m3 / sec As well as the installation of 1,530 km of drainage channels and 1,085 km of distribution channels, will be impelented said the state secretary.
These policies, according to Afilal, will make it possible to increase the rate of connection to the sewage networks in urban areas.
MAD 2.8 million was invested in water supply during 2014-2017, consisting of the production and distribution of drinking water and the improvement of the drainage and distribution network.
0 Join the Conversation.

I said yes, not knowing that my answer would change both of our lives.
Without knowing it, I’d been giving my babies poison.
Now, I’m hoping I can help make sure that other Maine families have access to safe drinking water.
Since over half of Mainers rely on well water for cooking, bathing and drinking, it’s estimated that well water for more than 100,000 Maine people is contaminated by arsenic.
The Legislature last month overrode the governor’s veto of a bill to expand outreach and education about this silent epidemic in Maine.
By helping moms like me and many others learn we need to test our well water, it will dramatically boost the number of people who test.
We were lucky that we could afford our filtration system, which cost a few hundred dollars.
With strong bipartisan support, the Legislature approved putting aside $500,000 to help all Maine families access safe drinking water, using funding that is available at no additional cost to taxpayers.
If he does, here’s my message to Maine legislators: Moms like me are counting on you to override the veto, to help us protect our children from poison in their drinking water.
My idea for a new T-shirt for my daughter is one that says this: “All Maine families deserve safe and affordable drinking water.” Wendy Brennan is a mom of two.

Environmental Experts Criticize Trump Administration for Repealing Water Protections.
Now, economists and regulatory experts are going public with their belief that the economic analysis contained in the proposal is deeply flawed.
“I am not normally this dismissive, but this is the worst regulatory analysis I have ever seen,” David Sunding, a University of California-Berkeley agricultural economist who conducted an industry-funded economic analysis of the rule in 2014, said in an article published Thursday (July 27) in Bloomberg BNA.
The rule, enacted by former President Barack Obama, was created to better define what bodies of water the Clean Water Act protects.
Its goal is to prevent pollution from entering smaller streams and rivers that feed into larger ones, in an effort to keep drinking water sources clean.
According to The Guardian, if the rule were allowed to go into effect, it would protect the water of a third of U.S. residents, or roughly 100 million people.
As Colorlines previously reported, “People of color, including tribal communities, border communities and many living in rural areas, already disproportionately lack access to clean drinking water.” Within five weeks of being in office, Trump signed a February 28 executive order directing the EPA to review the rule.
According to ThinkProgress, “Repealing the rule has been a priority for industry—including manufacturing, fossil fuel,and big agriculture — which has argued the rule constitutes government overreach that would result in higher costs and more regulatory red-tape for businesses.” In compliance, the Scott Pruitt-run agency issued the June proposal.
Others argue that the analysis only focuses on the costs—and not the benefits—of keeping the rule in place.
“The Trump Administration is saying that those studies that indicate the benefit of wetlands are not reliable, so we’re just going to basically not have any accounting for any economic benefit of protecting wetlands,” John Rumpler, senior attorney for Environment America, told ThinkProgress.

I said yes, not knowing that my answer would change both of our lives.
Without knowing it, I’d been giving my babies poison.
Now, I’m hoping I can help make sure that other Maine families have access to safe drinking water.
Since over half of Mainers rely on well water for cooking, bathing and drinking, it’s estimated that well water for more than 100,000 Maine people is contaminated by arsenic.
The Legislature last month overrode the governor’s veto of a bill to expand outreach and education about this silent epidemic in Maine.
By helping moms like me and many others learn we need to test our well water, it will dramatically boost the number of people who test.
We were lucky that we could afford our filtration system, which cost a few hundred dollars.
With strong bipartisan support, the Legislature approved putting aside $500,000 to help all Maine families access safe drinking water, using funding that is available at no additional cost to taxpayers.
If he does, here’s my message to Maine legislators: Moms like me are counting on you to override the veto, to help us protect our children from poison in their drinking water.
My idea for a new T-shirt for my daughter is one that says this: “All Maine families deserve safe and affordable drinking water.” Wendy Brennan is a mom of two.

West Dorset GP, Sue Davies, urges public to understand importance of staying hydrated.
Dr Sue Davies, from Lyme Regis Medical Centre in Lyme Regis, says people need to be aware of consuming the right amount of fluids to stay healthy.
Medical evidence shows that staying hydrated can assist in the management of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and low blood pressure while also helping to prevent falls, incontinence and poor oral health.
It is also recognised that staying hydrated helps you stay alert and feel generally healthier.
Dr Davies said: “Water is essential to health, and is one of the six basic nutrients – along with carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, proteins and minerals – but is often overlooked.
"This can result in vulnerable individuals, not just older people, missing out on the support they need to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.” Virgin Care is making a clear effort to raise the awareness of good hydration by promoting to patients and colleagues the importance of drinking six to eight drinks a day, including a variety of fluids (excluding alcohol) across its services.
The organisation has also committed to people visiting its services can access drinking water at all of its locations.
Dr Davies, added: “There are plenty of things people can do to stay hydrated, for example, drinking water regularly throughout the day, eating more fresh fruit and vegetables and remembering to drink more when they exercise or if the weather is hot.
“It’s vital we encourage patients to drink more.
“So have a drink before you feel thirsty and not only will you be quenching your thirst, but you will also be helping to protect yourself.”