HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-02-07, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1990
Special delivery
These hungry triplets wereasurprise for Susan Buffinga of RR 1, Blyth who originally thought she
was delivering one calf from a cow while her husband Bert was at a meeting. The triplets are all
healthy and are named Peter, Paul and Mary.
Melville forms committee
Changes in farm practices will improve water
BY BONNIE GROPP
The quality of our water has been
an increasingly important issue and
about 50 concerned environmen
talists, farmers and conservation
ists were on hand January 31 at an
Information Day in Seaforth, spon
sored by the Ausable-Bayfield and
Maitland Valley Conservation Au
thorities, to discuss this issue and
its possible solutions.
In opening the meeting, Bruce
McCall, chairman of the Hullett
Valley Conservation Authority
said, “Virtually everyone has a role
to play in keeping our water
clean.”
For three consecutive years be
ginning in 1986 and ending in 1988,
the Maitland Valley Conservation
Authority (MVCA) tested about
2500 water samples collected from
the Maitland watershed. During
the first year, none of the samples
met safe government standards for
coliform bacteria for recreational
use. Coliform bacteria exists in the
intestines of all warm blooded
animals and finding it in water
generally indicates the water is
contaminated with other disease
causing bacteria, an MVCA report
claims.
The presence of coliform bacteria
will not change the appearance of
the water but does pose an imme
diate health hazard if the water is
used for drinking or swimming,
causing stomach flu, diarrhea, and
eye, ear and throat infections.
Tests taken in 1987 and 1988
revealed only 13 per cent and 21
per cent respectively met the
government standards.
The MVCA also tested for phos
phorous, which though not hazar
dous to the health of swimmers
does affect water quality. Encour
aging the growth of aquatic plants
by acting as a fertilizer, phosphor
ous also results in algae blooms,
which leads to a loss of oxygen in
the water that in turn damages fish
and other aquatic life.
These three year studies showed
that the levels of phosphorous were
found generally to be above
government guidelines.
In his speech to those attending
the water quality meeting Dr. Clare
Rennie, representing the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
(OMAF) said, “There is no doubt
that agriculture has had an impact
on the environment due to the
growth of intensive livestock and
crop production and manage
ment.”
Dr. Rennie, Assistant-Deputy
Minister of Agriculture, made re
ference to studies done by the
Pollution from Land Use Activities
Reference Group, whose final re
port in 1978 “indicated a signifi
cant agricultural contribution to
water quality degradation” making
its correction this a priority in the
province.
He noted that other studies that
had been conducted in conjunction
with the Ministry of the Environ
ment (MOE), local conservation
authorities and Ministry of Natural
Resources (MNR) focused on the
affects of agriculture on local water
resources as opposed to the Great
Lakes.
“It became apparent that the
improper handling of livestock
manure and milkhouse wastewater
were two significant sources of
bacterial contamination,” he said.
Murray Blackie, Agricultural
Specialist with the Ministry of the
Environment spoke to the crowd
about the CURB (Clean Up Rural
Beaches) Plan which was the result
of a study conducted by MVCA in
conjunction with the ministry in
1986. The program was established
to look at the pollution problems
that have resulted in the closing of
area beaches.
According to Mr. Blackie they
discovered relatively high levels of
plant growth indicating high phos
phorous levels and bacteria in the
rural and urban watersheds that
were looked at. They examined
upstream sources and estimated
the relative contributions of pollu
your loved one
and there's
absolutely no
calories
A Book"
discovered was that
66 per cent of the
came from faulty
tion sources in the Maitland Valley
to pollution problems at the beach
in Goderich.
What they
an alarming
contaminants
septic systems. A survey of rural
households completed in 1987 and
88 discovered that less than half of
the septic systems were serviced at
the recommended interval. Almost
10 per cent were never serviced
and over 30 per cent may not have
been installed correctly. It is esti
mated that 2700 household septic
systems in the Maitland watershed
have failed and are polluting rivers
and streams.
Winter manure spreading was
responsible for 26 per cent of the
pollution problem while cattle ac
cess was the cause of six percent of
the contamination and 2 per cent
were caused by other sources.
Susan Bragg of the MVCA
stated, “One cow feces contains
enough bacteria to render six
backyard swimming pools un
usable.
Doug Hocking, of the Ausable-
Bayfield Conservation Authority
says, allowing cattle access to
streams and rivers transmits di
sease rapidly. “If you have one
animal defacating in a stream while
another is drinking from the same
stream it contributes to the rapid
spread of disease in herds,” he
said.
While the thrust of the informa
tion centred around the effects of
a lasting gift for
BLYTH
523-9141
LISTOWEL
291-2145
The Annual meeting of the
Melville Presbyterian Church was
held following Sunday service,
February 4, with approximately 40
members present.
All groups reported a successful
year. Some highlights of the year
were: the induction of The Rever
end Caroline McAvoy in June; the
Sunday School decided to sponsor a
foster child through World Vision
and raised some of the required
money through serving Easter
Breakfast; the church tower restor
ation was completed and paid for;
the Vestry was repaired, redecor
ated and converted into an office
for The Rev. Caroline. There are
still a few furnishings needed.
Wilfred Shortreed, Sunday
School superintendent for 30 years
retired during the year and Mary
Douma is now superintendent.
Thanks was given to Wilfred for his
devoted service over the years.
Board Chairman John Exel told
the meeting that a new roof for the
church is urgently needed and it
will be an expensive proposition.
Wheel chair access was mentioned
as a possible future goal but will be
left until the roof repairs are
agricultural industry on the water
sources all speakers agreed that
farmers are not the sole contribu
tors to the contamination but
stressed that correcting the pro
blem has to start somewhere.
Bob Bedggood of the Middlesex
Federation of Agriculture, who is
himself a farmer stated, “We know
farmers are not the only polluters.
We know that industry pollutes, we
know that refineries pollute, but we
must look at what we as farmers
can do today. There are four things
that we should change that could
have a positive effect on rural
water. Our number one priority is
to take the cattle out of the water.”
Next he listed milkhouse waste,
soil erosion, and winter manure
spreading as areas where farmers
can begin to solve the problem.
“Water is a gift and the power to
protect or destroy it rests with us,”
he finished.
Ms. Bragg said, “It is important
that we think of this problem on an
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING
The 114th Annual Meeting of the Members
will be held in the
OFFICEBUILDING
McKillop Mutual
Insurance Company
91 Main Street, South, SEAFORTH, Ontario
on
WED., February28,1990
at1:30p.m.
-to receive and dispose of the 1989 financial and Auditor’s
Reports.
-to appoint Auditors,
-to consider and enact proposed amendments to
-bylaw #31
-bylaw #33
-to transact any other business that may properly come
from the meeting.
-The retiring Directors are Eric Anderson, Stuart Wilson
and Ken Moore. All are eligible for re-election.
Any person wishing to seek election or re-election as a Director
must file his intention to stand for election in writing with the
Secretary of the Company at least seven days in advance of the
Annual Meeting. [By-law No. 21 [d] ].
James Cardiff
Secretary-T reasurer-Manager
completed.
A new committee has been
formed “Vision For The Future’’.
The Rev. Caroline will be basing
her sermons on “Vision for the
Future” for the next eight weeks.
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