ELMIRA DRINKING WATER COMES FROM WATERLOO

This is why we here in Elmira as well as St. Jacobs have a strong legitimate interest in the quality of water being provided by the pipeline coming up from Waterloo. TCE (trichloroethylene) is incredibly toxic with a range of health issues which includes multiple cancers, birth defects, immune system disorders, severe nervous and muscular problems and fibromyalagia. The public drinking wells most exposed to this chemical are in Cambridge at the Middleton well field. This however may be about to change. The Region of Waterloo are adding AOP (advaced oxidation process) to their treatment of the Middleton wells. This is approximately thirty years too late for many citizens of Cambridge who through multiple, sadly normal routes of exposure to industrial chemicals, will succumb to the prior mentioned diseases.

Advanced treatment of the water coming out of the ground is but one solution. Another solution is the proper cleanup of contamination at the source. This is a rarity even in the cases where cleanup is done at all. In Cambridge, well north of the Middleton wellfield, a pilot cleanup will be attempted in the Bishop St. community, contaminated by Northstar and Rozell. This pilot cleanup is using a process known as in situ chemical oxidation. It like the AOP is targeting TCE. Waterloo will shortly have taken over the top spot as having the most TCE polluted water in the Region. Why not go back to Sunar and Canbar in Waterloo and take a huge bite out of their remaining TCE? This will help secure the health of Waterloo, Elmira and St. Jacobs residents.