The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It's been said that out of tragedy can come learning and growth. The Government of Manitoba appears to be following that motto. In 2000, seven people died after consuming contaminated drinking water in tiny Walkerton, Ont. One year later, a similar incident claimed the lives of as many as three people in the small town of North Battleford, Sask. Those grievous occurrences changed the way many Canadians looked at what was coming out of their taps. The events also prompted governments to take a serious look at their drinking water systems to avoid further catastrophes. The Manitoba government is no exception. Earlier this year, the province released The Manitoba Water Strategy, a 28-page document outlining steps to ensure Manitobans enjoy a clean, adequate supply of drinking water. The province is now revising the Strategy to better reflect the concerns of residents in the North. Yesterday, Strategy co-ordinator Lorimer Thompson and co-workers sought input from local residents during a come-and-go meeting at the Legion Hall. See 'Concerns' P.# Con't from P.# "In the North, we've heard quite a bit about water quality issues," said Thompson, who works out of Winnipeg. "Most of the communities we've gone to have all raised concern about their drinking water systems. People are concerned about the quality of the water sources that they get their drinking water from, they're concerned about aging infrastructure and the need to replace and repair it." Thompson spoke of the need to stay ahead of potential threats to the cleanliness of the water supply, including outdated infrastructure as well as contaminants that may result naturally or from pollution. "Using Schist Lake as an example, you've got a lot of cottage development. How is their waste water handled?" he said. "And gray water, is it getting into the system? If it is, how do we prevent it from getting in? What are the things we have to do to make sure that those things don't degrade our water." Gray water refers to used household water that is disposed of into the environment. Thompson also said the province must be diligent in stipulating that industries in the North, including mining, use processes "that ensure our water will not be jeopardized." This ties into his belief that government must keep water as clean as possible at its source rather than just focusing on filtering out contaminants. "There's a multi-barrier approach to ensuring that not only do we have safe drinking water and safe water to recreate in, but to make sure future Manitobans will have clean water as well," said Thompson. While people in the North have serious concerns, Thompson said they need not worry about one grave issue facing parts of the South Ñ a lack water. "There is an abundance of water in the North, but there are parts of Southern Manitoba right now that are into water shortage situations, where in fact the available water has been allocated," he said. "So in those areas, we need to look at alternative supplies and better using the water we use now more efficiently." Thompson called the tragedies in Walkerton and North Battleford "a wake-up call" for the people of Manitoba and other provinces. "That helped citizens to realize that these things could happen to us," he said, "and we need to make sure we do the things and position ourselves to minimize and eliminate the potential of that happening." Aside from The Manitoba Water Strategy, Thompson said the province has taken a positive step forward on the water issue with last year's introduction of the Drinking Water Act. He mentioned that the Act introduced tighter regulations for the operation of water treatment plants and the training required for plant operators. The Act also led to the creation of a dozen Drinking Water Officer positions, similar to health inspector positions, across the province. Although steps have already been taken in the right direction, Thompson stressed that the importance of the Strategy should not be underestimated. "Drinking water is one of our most valuable assets and most important assets Ñ we can't live without good clean sources of water," he said.
