HAS NDMA BEEN PRODUCED FOR YEARS AT THE WEST MONTROSE WATER TREATMENT PLANT ?

There are numerous scholarly research papers published linking NDMA production with public water treatment using chloramines. Indeed this is the reason there is a formal drinking water standard of 3 mg/litre (parts per million) of chloramine in treated drinking water. The chloramine helps kill bacteria from the treatment plant to the taps in our homes but above 3 mg/l it is dangerous. Chlorine actually kills most of the bacteria from the wells (raw water) and into the treatment plant. Ammonia via ammonium sulphate is added to the chlorine present to produce chloramine which lasts longer in the distribution system than chlorine. Chloramine also produces fewer Trihalomethanes (THMs) than chlorine which is a good thing. Unfortunately chloramine produces other toxic by-products of disinfection including NDMA. Agencies with on-line research articles on this subject include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Health Service (U.K.), Wikipedia, and the World Health Organization.

I distributed the article from the World Health Organization via e-mail yesterday to Woolwich Township, two Councillors (B.Bryant & M. Bauman), CPAC, SWAT, three local newspapers and one West Montrose resident. I also left a phone message with two other West Montrose residents. This article indicates that NDMA concentrations have been found in drinking water distribution systems using chloramine; far in excess of any levels measured at the treatment plant itself. To date the Region of Waterloo have not shared any of their NDMA test results for West Montrose with the residents or the public via their Annual Drinking Water Reports. The WHO article also indicates that NDMA is both carcinogenic and genotoxic.

The information I received Wednesday afternoon claims that currently the West Montrose treatment plant is shut down while being converted from chlorine/chloramine treatment to Ultraviolet irradiation. My understanding is that UV does not produce THMs or NDMA therefore this certainly appears as a step in the right direction. The obvious question however is why scrap the current system for a temporary fix of a couple of years? The Region are in the process of deciding on a totally new source of water for West Montrose. Based upon long standing bacterial contamination of the raw water, this decision is overdue by at least ten or fifteen years. Temporarily replacing the current system with a totally different disinfection system speaks to the Region's belated acknowledgment that THMs and possibly NDMA among other toxic by-products, are a serious health issue.