STICKHANDLING AROUND THE WALKERTON INQUIRY

E.Coli bacteria killed seven people and made a couple of thousand more sick in Walkerton, Ontario in 2000. Some of those sick have permanent organ damage due to E.Coli. Justice O'Connor led the Inquiry and made many worthwhile recommendations. Failures abounded both human , institutional and systemic. From alcoholism, laziness, apathy, stupidity to a lack of common sense and from individual weaknesses to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment; the gaps in human health protection were glaring. Justice O'Connor's written reports however were more than just new rules, regulations and recommendations thereof. His reports also encompassed a new way of thinking about drinking water protection. They demanded a multi barrier approach from water in the ground to the final water coming from our taps. In other words while there were new rules there was also supposed to be a new spirit and attitude around water protection. Human beings unfortunately and especially those in positions of power and authority can always find ways around rules. Annual Reports detailing our water quality were to be made available to consumers of water in every jurisdiction in Ontario. Here is the result.

The Ontario Ministry of Environment through both the Safe Drinking Water Act and Ontario Reg.170/03 have mandated these Annual (Drinking Water) Reports. These reports have loopholes and omissions in them large enough to drive a water truck through. This is by design and by intention. Municipalities who have long ignored flagrant pollution violations in their communities yelled loudly and clearly. These Annual Reports could expose their incompetence and negligence if the M.O.E. insisted that everything relevant to the quality of drinking water was included. Hence ubiquitous industrial contaminants from leaking gasoline stations were conveniently ignored. Many toxic by-products of disinfection processes were left out of the reporting. NDMA which shut down the drinking wells in Elmira isn't even required to be reported in other highly industrialized towns and cities. Adverse incidents and results during water treatment allegedly are reported. It turns out that some of them show up as Adverse Incidents in water towers and other distribution facilities. Others in smaller systems going directly to consumers do not. These omissions are both unconscionable and intentional.

Locally we have the Region of Waterloo responsible for water production and treatment. They have exploited unmercifully every loophole and opportunity either in the legislation or which they can lobby the M.O.E. to agree to, regarding not being open and transparent. Shut down wells allegedly must be reported. Wells "on standby"; that's a different story. Other contaminated wells simply have their production cut back allowing for dilution with cleaner wells. The Region hide behind the M.O.E. at every opportunity. When asked a straightforward technical question about their water; instead of responding directly they say that Ontario Regulation 170 doesn't require it. Again when asked why they can't include pertinent information in their Annual Reports they say that the Safe Drinking Water Act doesn't require it. They make no attempt to justify their decision, they simply hide behind both the M.O.E. and the provincial legislation. Furthermore they fill their Annual Reports with acronyms and shortforms making them impossible to understand by the average citizen.

These Annual Reports are a failure. That is not Justice O'Connor's fault. It is the fault of the province of Ontario and the lower tier governments intentionally misapplying and manipulating the flawed rules and regulations.