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Times-Advocate, 1999-02-24, Page 29F y.. • Report compiles 25 years of Huron County water qtiality data: Phosphorus levels are decreasing but bacteria and nitrate levels are increasing in surface water By Kate Monk last eight years because quality are in the north TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF the information from half of the county at before that time was not Amberley, Goderich and retained, Joy said. Port Albert in the "Another problem is Maitland and Nine Mile studies were site specific River basins. and not representative of He said the "news is not the entire area," Joy said. good" at the beaches. As well, reports tended Beaches often exceed the to identify scenarios guidelines for safe swim - rather than examining ming — some up to 50 specific sources of pollu- per cent of the time and tion. For example, a others 65 per cent of the report concluded if a time. farmer spread a specific Although the report amount of manure on says there is "no appar- certain soil types in spe- ent relationship" cific conditions, water between livestock densi- could be polluted. ties and the concentra- tion of pollutants, it says there may be a "weak relationship" between the density of swine and water quality. The basins with the highest, third, fourth and fifth highest swine densities are four of the five basins with the highest concentrations of pollutants. Joy said there is no way to tell what source of pol- lution is responsible for poor water quality in dif- ferent areas from the information available to him. He said technology is available to identify the sources of bacteria but warned it was more expensive than the method the Save our Lakes Value Environment (SOL -VE) group used in 1997-98. Joy identified serious gaps in water quality information. He said there is very little infor- mation on old or illegal septic systems and no reports on whether new systems are working properly. CLINTON — The results of a water quality data study completed by the University of Guelph came as no surprise. Surface water pollution in Huron County comes from several sources — agriculture, municipal and private sewage treat- ment systems and wildlife. But it's still a mystery how much pollu- tion comes from each source. The Huron Farm Environmental Coalition commissioned the report completed by Dr. Greg Joy and Shelly Bonte- Gelok of the School of Engineering and released to the public Feb. 16 in Clinton. Joy and Bonte-Gelok examined water quality information created dur- ing the past 25 years in Huron County. The study's objectives were to• assemble and analyze the information, create & geographical information system data- base from the data and provide recommenda- tions for the collection of water quality data in the future. Data came from several agencies, munici- palities and the provin- cial - government. During their research, the researchers encoun- tered several problems. It was difficult to com- pare reports because the reports often looked at different forms of pollu- tion. As well, provincial funding cutbacks have reduced or eliminated water quality monitoring stations that were a good source of information in the past, The beach water quali- ty data only covers the Bacteria and nitrates increasing Overall, the study found phosphorus concentra- tions are decreasing because of improved sewage treatment facili- ties and reduced farm- land erosion. However, bacteria and nitrate concentrations are increasing "a few per cent each year„” Joy reported. The three basins with the highest population density of humans and livestock — the Ausable R i v e r, Gullies and Bayfield River basins — also had the highest concentrations of total phosphorus, fecal col- iform and nitrates in the water. However, Joy said this was because the watercourses have less water; pollution concen- ,trations are higher not necessarily the volume of pollution. The Lake Huron beach- es with the worst water "It's important to know the source, not to point fingers but to identify solutions." TOM PROUT AUSABLE BAYFIELD CONSERVATION AUTHORITY It also concerns Joy will have input into the there is little information university's research on major farming activi- because it has a keen ties such as manure interest. management, fertilizer Prout also said the fact use or cropping methods many groups are work - and recommends a ing together to clean up "more formalized report- the county's surface ing on activities." water is important. The report is support- ing what the public is saying, Prout said, partic- ularly in the area of sep- tic systems. Klaus Seeger of the Huron County Health Unit said public health is its main con- cern and the health unit sup- ports the study,. especially the recom- mendation to invento- ry farm. and sewage systems. "There's still a lot of work to be done but at least we have a starting point," he added. Ron Douglas said farm- ers are working towards improved environmental stewardship, especially through. the Environmental Farm Plan. "I think agriculture is taking the environment very seriously," he said. Funding partners pleased with report Evert Ridder of the Huron Farm Environmental Coalition said he is pleased with the study. "It gives us a better idea of where we are and where to start," he said. But he also wants provin- cial funding because of the high cost of cleaning up the pollution. Rick Steele of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority said he is happy the reports of the past 25 have been compiled. He is the "keeper" of the documents and will pro- vide the information to the public and agencies as .requested. Tom Prout of.' the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority said the study is another step in the process of improving water quality and agrees with the rec- ommendation of long term environmental mon- itoring. Prout said the University of Guelph is receiving funding to iden- tify sources of pollution. "It's important to know the source, not to point fingers but to identify solutions," Prout said, adding the Huron Farm Environmental Council "There's still a lot of work to be done but at least we have a starting point." KLAUS SEEGER HURON COUNTY HEALTH UNIT More comprehensive information needed Joy and Bonte-Gelok made six recommenda- tions that would close the gaps in water quality data. The top priority is to restart the provincial water quality monitoring stations. Joy said the sta- tions are the only source of long term surface water quality data in Huron County and with- out this information, it is impossible to determine trends in water quality. The stations in the MVCA watersheds have been restarted and the ABCA is working on get- ting its stations sampled again. 'l'he recommendations to itnprove data collec- tion for farms and septic systems are equal in importance and next in priority, Joy said. He recommends a data- base of septic systems with location, age and type to monitor the den- sity of septic systems. A program of inspection and renewal is also advised to minimize the contamination from sep- tic systems. An annual record of the installation of tile drains at each farm, manure and waste handling prac- tices, fertilizer use and areas of crop types would be beneficial in tracking changes and- relating these to water quality, the report states. A fourth recommenda- tion is to continue, the beach and inland bathing site monitoring conduct- ed by the health unit. The program tells bathers when the water is unsafe and is an important record of bacterial con- centrations at these sites. Studies to target 'hot' areas of the county to determine pollution sources at selected loca- tions are also recom- mended. An annual 'state of the environment' report detailing current trenth in water quality would be highly beneficial, the report states. 'I Hold on... The Zurich St. Boniface School youth group had a 'Lock In' on Friday night that included three hours of fun activities, some with a religious theme. Seen here playing the Catepiller Race are Sara Grainger, left, Kathleen Hosang, Jus- tine Gelinas, Elise Durand, Jacqueline Gelinas, Amber Kenda and Heidi Klopp. Aar Ambulance operators ready to negotiate partnerships with counties in Ontario DASHWOOD Ambulance operators from 14 municipalities, including the company which serves the -Exeter area, told the Southwestern Ontario Land Ambulance Review C-ommittee they want to partner with Ontario counties to provide ser- vice. - They also told the review committee they arenot interested in a U.S.-style private for- profit ambulance sys- tenm. The operators are also not in.terested In a municipally -ova rtipte d. ambu-tance s'cvice because it would result in increased costs. Because of province restructuring, land ambulance delivery has been transferred to the county level, after being controlled by the province for 30 years. Huron, Bruce, Elgin, Grey, Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford. and - Perth counties and the municipalities of Chatham -Kent,. London and Haldimand-Norfolk have hired a consulting group, IBI of Toronto, to advise them of their respective municipalf ties': amabulace needs.. White. ambul'a operators want to con- tinue a public-private partnership with the counties, they've told their municipalities the counties must take on the role of ambulance system governance, pre- viously run by the provincial government. Hoffman Ambulance Service of Dashwood serves Exeter as well as the townships of Stephen, Usborne, Hay. Bosanquet, McGillivray. Hibbert and Huron Park, Crediton, Dashwood and Grand Bend.