PHARMACEUTICALS & PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS (PPCP)

Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water. Two days ago I posted here that I had sent a letter to Peter Clarke, Water Specialist with the Region of Waterloo. Naturally of course after so doing it comes to my attention that there is yet another large area of concern regarding chemicals in our water supply, that are untested (or at least unpublished) by the Region of Waterloo. These are PPCPs as defined in the title above. They end up particularily in our rivers and streams after passing through municipal Sewage Treatment Plants, essentially untreated. They end up in our STPs via either human excretion (toilets) or by direct dumping of left over prescriptions etc. down the toilet. These include birth control pills, antibiotics, pain killers such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin etc..the list is endless. The direct implications are to our waterways and life within them. There are many documented cases of fish being adversely affected by pharmaceuticals in their habitat. The indirect implications concern our drinking water. The Grand River is a source of drinking water for Kitchener, Brantford and other further downstream communities. How incredible is it that we dump our human sewage into the same waterbodies that we draw our drinking water from? How counterintuitive is this? In the arguments in favour of mass immigration to Canada based on available space and land, do we ever even think about the carrying capacity of our rivers for the increased loads of human sewage? I think not. Add to direct drawing of water from the Grand River is the common use of river wells such as the Pompeii, Woolner and formerly Forwell systems in Kitchener. Similarily West Montrose here in Woolwich draw their water from wells in the floodplain of the Grand. The Middleton wellfield in Cambridge draws water from both upgradient groundwater and from the Grand. GUDI is an acronym for Groundwater Under Direct Influence of surface water. All the river wells just described are GUDI wells.

In a nutshell the whole point of this article is the failure of our authorities to include all chemicals from all sources in their testing and publication of drinking water quality results. Over the last few weeks I have given numerous examples of industrial chemicals commonly found in groundwater and drinking water. Today simply adds to the concern that we are being given censored information. I believe that we the public would be much more involved and active in our demand for safe drinking water and hence improved health if we had honest and complete information from our governments.