HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-07-01, Page 7i
Huron Council
Questions
on county
water quality
challenged
By Blake Patterson
Questions about the quality
of Huron County's water were
challenged at County
Council's June meeting.
Reeve Robin Dunbar of
Grey Township noted a recent
article in the Toronto Star had
made reference to Huron
County beaches being closed
due to increased pollution in
area water. He said thc article
went on to say a 1992 study of
the wells in Huron County
showed 37 per cent had unsafe
bacteria levels.
Dunbar said information
collected by Grey Township
indicates Maitland River water
Flowing through Grey is fine.
But he wanted to know if the
referenced well study exists --
and if so, wanted it made
available to the municipalities.
Warden Jack Coleman said,
"Yes, I'd Iikc to know where
they are getting those statistics
because Mr. (Mark) Sully
from Goderich was on the pro-
gram Inquiry ... and he made
the samestatement that every
well in the county was pollut-
ed. Where they are getting that
from I don't know."
Beth Henning from the
Huron County Health Unit
said she has no idea where
Sully would have received
such information.
Contacted Monday night,
Sully said the well study he
referred to was conducted by
Centralia College of
Agricultural Technology in
1992. The study was based on
a random sampling of more
than 300 wells across Huron
County and found the county's
water quality is generally
good. Sully, however, pointed
out the study also showed that
40 per cent of the county's
shallow wells are contaminat-
ed by high nitrate levels and
five times the maximum
allowable levels of E -coli bac-
teria.
"This is insanity," said Sully
noting approximately 12,000
people in Huron County are
drinking water they shouldn't
be drinking.
Reeve Brian McBurney of-
Turnherry Township said he
has seen a similar report stat-
ing every well in the
Turnberry arca is contaminat-
ed, but it was soon proven
false.
"Not seeing anyone lying
dead on the street from had
water, I wondered how they
got this information." said
McBurney.
As it turned out, five of the
60 wells in the arca had been
tested and found contaminat-
ed. Those five wells, however,
were "dug" wells and did not
have proper casings. When all
the wells were eventually test-
ed, McBurney said only the
original five wells were sus-
pect; the rest were fine.
He said the report should
have made it clear 100 per
cent of the 'tested' wells were
contaminated.
"We had an awful time try-
ing to get that reversed," said
McBurney.
Reeve Mason Bailey of
Blyth wanted to know why
people insist on making such a
"big furor" about dirt in coun-
try water'! He said the water
coming into Goderich is prob-
ably no cleaner before it gets
treated with chlorine.
"All we have to do out in the
country is add a little javcx
and it will he just as good as
any of the water in any of the
cities," he said. "We're not so
dirty that we cannot clean it up
that way."
He said water quality is not
an emergency for this sparsely
populated region.
Sully said thc 40 per cent
finding of the study is plenty
to Worry about.
"People aren't dying, but
they [get) sick from'contami-
nated water[ all the time," he
said. "We've got a problem
here and it's time we did
something about it."
Reeve Laurie Cox of
Goderich ,Township, who
works at the water filtration
plant in Godcrich, said the
level of contaminants in the
Take waters is tested each
week by the plant,, and statis-
tics show an improvement in
Huron waters.
•
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mai
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