HYDROG REPORT FOR WEST MONTROSE

This Hydrogeological Investigation is part of the Class Environmental Assessment for West Montrose and is done by Golder Associates, dated June 27, 2012. Allegedly it was done to determine if there were viable sources of groundwater near West Montrose that could be used as an alternate source to their current four river infiltration wells. A map is provided indicating the numbers of nearby wells both inside and outside West Montrose which are providing drinking water to various farms and homes. These wells are both deep overburden wells as well as bedrock wells. Personally I find the logic sorely lacking when it comes to dismissing groundwater in and around West Montrose as not being viable. Yes bedrock wells routinely have higher sulphate levels which require treatment. On the other hand they don't have bacteria such as E.Coli and Total Coliforms which are far more serious and hence require serious treatment. Golder's claim that the deep overburden aquifer may not be continuous in the area. Well my knowledge is that groundwater flows, albeit slowly. It has recharge areas and discharge areas. The real question is whether there is enough high quality water for West Montrose. Keep in mind there's only a couple of hundred people in the village. We don't need volumes capable of supplying Kitchener or Waterloo here. As far as quality goes West Montrose has been plagued with low quality, dangerously bacteria contaminated water for decades.

I was astounded to learn that there is already a drilled bedrock well in West Montrose beside the current treatment plant. Under testing it provided volumes of water far in excess of any requirements the village would ever need. It had the normal bedrock quality requiring treatment to make it taste better. Why not ask all the nearby users of bedrock wells how they feel about their water? This bedrock well actually is artesian and will flow from the ground on its' own without pumping. Claims that the wastewater from treatment will require trucking to the Waterloo Sewage Treatment Plant seem very odd to me. Here in Woolwich we have overflowing artesian wells by the Woolwich Dam and Floradale which simply discharge onto the ground, hence recharging the shallow aquifers and the lake. What's the big deal with trucking the water away? Compared to the crap routinely discharged into the Grand River from both industries and sewage treatment plants this seems innocuous.

All in all I'm seeing a strong bias not to let West Montrose have their own, new water supply. Using a pipeline makes treatment and oversight simpler for the Region. It's ironic that now the Region seem willing to spend more money on a pipeline than using local groundwater yet for twenty years they delayed getting a new desperately needed water source into the village.