Today's Record advises us that "Kitchener development a threat to drinking water supply: report". Well news flash folks, pretty much all development threatens the drinking water supply. Just the same as all population increases threaten our surface water (Grand River etc.) as larger and larger discharges of partially treated human sewage get discharged into them.
The major damage has been done long ago by industry throughout Waterloo Region. Most of our pollution laws are toothless tigers and those that aren't are rarely if ever enforced whether provincially (Min. of Environment-MECP) or by our local municipalities via by-laws or by complaints to the MECP. Salt on our roads has not helped nor excess fertilizers on our farm fields.
The article in today's Record suggests that development in the south-west part of Kitchener will cover much of the Waterloo Moraine's recharge area. That is not a good thing although ensuring rain water from residential and industrial roofs goes into the ground versus into roadways and storm sewers can be improved. The repeated mention of a Lake Erie Pipeline is interesting. I view that as more of an excuse for the inevitable than as a threat that will only occur if development is situated on recharge areas. My belief is that regional politicians know that they have been incompetent and complacent regarding groundwater protection despite their words to the contrary.
Similar to the mess in Elmira they are looking for an exit strategy that will leave them untarnished and unblamed for the groundwater damage that has been done in Waterloo Region. See my two posts earlier this week regarding groundwater contamination (Mon. & Wed.).
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