The Rural Voice, 2000-07, Page 18Jt pours from the sky.
ponds in fields and is
there when the tap is
turned. But just how safe.
secure and available is the
water supply on which
every human and animal
relies?
Though the Walkerton
incident of E. coli -polluted
drinking water that killed
as many as 18 people and
made up to 2.000 ill is a
tragic example of how
quickly a problem can
impact a community. it also
indicates the speed with
which water -borne diseases
can spread.
As that community tries
to put their lives back in
order, the contamination
has served as a wake-up
call for municipal govern-
ments. provincial agencies,
utility managers, urban and
rural residents and farmers
who, at least in part. are
taking the heat for the prob-
lem.
And no matter what the source of
the deadly E. coli 0157 bacteria is
determined to be, the ramifications
on water management are sure to be
widespread.
As Canadians, we have rarely
questioned the availability of water
and its pristine state until recent
years. Not only have beaches along
the Great Lakes been closed during
summer months due to high bacteria
counts, but an extended drought and
the excessive drawing off of aquifers
has led to dry wells.
Have Ontarians, surrounded by
water, been taking the resource for
granted? Is it time to increase the
pressure on governments, farm orga-
nizations and municipalities to step
up their protection of the water which
is vital to survival?
For Anita Frayne of PROTECT
(Presenting Recommendations on
Township Environmental Concerns
Together), the three-year undertaking
to do just that has been frustrating
and disheartening.
When PROTECT formed in July
1997, the main focus was to bring
public awareness to -the issue of
water quality. Though there has not
been as much action on the issue as
PROTECT would like, Frayne said
MATER
W, TAKEN IT
FOR O
The E. coli tragedy at Walkerton
ft everyone rethink the safety of our water. Are''
we doing enough to protect it? Are we doing
w'bnough to protect our own families at home?
By Janice Becker
as
14 THE RURAL VOICE
she has seen a shift in position from
government agencies and Federations
of Agriculture when talking about
nutrient management planning.
"In 1997, some Federations rou-
tinely_gave strong support for NMPs.
They were the answer to manure
management problems," said Frayne.
However, she has seen the line soften
since there is now proof NMPs are
unenforceable. "There has been a
shift, but it may be too late and not
enough."
Frayne expressed frustration in
dealing with the bureaucracy of gov-
ernment, saying reports and studies
had been completed, many with
inconclusive results. "There are those
who know there are problems, but
they are unwilling to do anything."
The Impact of Cattle
At the heart of the water quality
issue are the livestock operators and
the associations which represent
them.
Because of the connection to E.
coli 0157 in Walkerton, the cattlemen
have been in the forefront of the dis-
cussion.
Graeme Hedley, head of the
Ontario Cattlemen's Association
(OCA) said the group is involved
with the Ontario Farm Environmental
Coalition (OFEC), a consortium of
several agriculturally -
focused organizations
which look at matters of
nutrient management and
water protection.
"Part of that process
for years has been the
water quality committee."
said Hedley.
With talk of "factory
farms", Hedley questions
the use of the term. While
the largest cattle opera-
tions in Ontario would
have a one-time capacity
of 5.000 to 6,000 head.
not necessarily all at the
same location, feedlots in
Alberta can house 60.000
head while in Nebraska
and Kansas those num-
bers can go as high as
200,000. The average
herd size in Ontario is
600 to 1,000 head.
Hedley said the size of
the operations cannot be
compared because those
other areas have a drier
climate and a dirt base for
feedlots. Ontario uses enclosed areas
with roofs and concrete or slatted
floors with complete enclosure for
manure.
OCA has also proposed legislation
which would take the issue of nutri-
ent management out of the hands of
municipalities and give it to the
province, he added. "Municipal
bylaws vary. We want to try to create
something uniform, on a provincial
scope."
OCA participated in a demonstra-
tion project in eastern Ontario which
dealt with woodlands, wetlands and
wildlife, in co-operation with anglers
and hunters' groups, said OCA assis-
tant manager Mike McMorris. It
looked at protecting water through
the use of buffer strips and a guide
was produced.
Though McMorris said all agricul-
tural sectors have taken positive steps
to protect the water resource, there
has been an element of surprise that
contamination such as in Walkerton
could have happened.
"There has been a lot of 'Oh wow'
and 'Where do we go from here?'
We have done a lot of work, but there
is still more to do."
Assessing Swine Contributions
While hog effluent cannot be the