THE MIDDLETON WELLFIELD IS A DISGRACE TO PUBLIC DRINKING WATER

Fate And Transport of DNAPLS in the Subsurface


Up here in Elmira we are dealing with Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLS) in a reasonably well understood subsurface regimen. This subsurface regimen consistes of silt, sand, gravel, and clay otherwise known as overburden. This overburden in Elmira and many parts of Waterloo Region is approximately one hundred feet thick. It sits upon Bedrock which locally consists of dolostone and limestone. By the way even though our subsurface here is well understood, we are dealing with DNAPLS very badly. That is to say that we are ignoring them. We are ignoring them both on and off the Chemtura property. This is but one more of many pieces of evidence which make it clear to me that our regional and provincial authorities are deceiving us, the public, about restoring the Elmira drinking water aquifers.

Cambridge are in a lot more trouble than we are. We are obtaining only slightly contaminated water (hopefully) from Waterloo via a pipeline. Cambridge rely for between 40 and 50% of their drinking water from the Middleton Wellfield, at the south end of town, beside the Grand River. They have had mostly low , sometimes higher, levels of industrial solvents in their drinking water for decades. The most obvious source is their next door neighbour, Canadian General Tower. They have been subjected to M.O.E. Control Orders and charges and most appropriately so. I do know that years ago I read a provincial officers report concerning their day to day housekeeping and handling of liquid wastes and I was appalled. There probably have been vague suggestions of other nearby sources of solvents to the Middleton Wellfield and if true should have been investigated. If that honestly happened then Cambridge is ahead of Elmira on that one point.

Cambridge and the Middleton Wellfield are in my opinion buggered royally because of their geology. Their overburden is practically non existent. Parts of Cnd. Gen. Tower (CGT) have an overburden of between 1 and 4.5 metres. That's it folks! In other words the bedrock is exposed at the surface. There is no easily understood major sand and gravel aquifers and clay confining layers 100 feet thick to protect the fractured Bedrock Aquifers which supply the Middleton Wellfield. It gets worse. Sand and gravel have predictable flow patterns. Bedrock does not. The fate and transport of DNAPLS in the subsurface are UNKNOWN within bedrock. The likelihood of finding pooled free phase DNAPL sitting on top of the bedrock is slim. It will have moved into the bedrock where it will sit either as residual or free phase depending on the size of the fractures and numerous other factors. It is my opinion based upon strong evidence that the Bedrock Aquifer beside and below this wellfield is permanently contaminated.

Enter the politicians. Business, development, expansion and money all hinge upon confidence that Cambridge can accomodate growth, both residential and commercial. I believe that the decison was made a long time ago that deceiving the public was in everybody's best interests. Waterloo Region are still eyeing a pipeline to Lake Erie down the road. The only possible reason for that in my opinion is that the gate was shut after the horse had bolted. Too many of our underground aquifers are comprimised.

The Walkerton water tragedy spawned the Walkerton Inquiry headed by Justice O'Connor. His recommendations included a multi barrier approach to drinking water safety. Multi barrier meant safeguards from the beginning in the ground, raw water, through pumping and treatment and finally via the distribution system to individual homes. It included testing and monitoring throughout, however with the clear understanding that comprimised water was to be dealt with effectively at the source of the problem. It was not to be allowed to move along through the system, counting upon for example later treatment to make the water O.K.. The Region of Waterloo have increased water treatment at the Middleton Wellfield. With inadequate Annual Water Reports they attempt to prove that the water is O.K. once into the distribution system. Any drinking water system dependent upon treatment of variable concentrations of multiple contaminants is not following the spirit of the Walkerton Inquiry. It is a prescription for disaster that only requires a failure in engineering, human error , mechanical failure or any other small error to have major consequences. The Titanic sunk, the space shuttle blew up and bridges collapse. Engineering and mechanical failures occur every day. The source water is contaminated.