WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP WELLS

I covered the disgrace of bacteria contaminated raw water in West Montrose already so today we'll look at the rest of the rural Woolwich Township Well Systems. The Conestoga Golf Course Supply consists of two wells C5 and C6 located near the Grand River. Apparently one of them has a minor hydraulic connection to the river yet bacteria and Turbidity seem very good. Chlorine levels and Sodium are very good as well. Other than my standard complaints with what these Annual Reports don't provide the lack of up to date test results is my only other complaint. Test results for chemicals are two years old which I find unacceptable.

The Conestoga Plains Water System consists of wells C3 and C4. Odd but I wonder where C1 and C2 went. Could this explain also the very good results for raw water bacteria, Turbidity and Chlorine levels? Many years back I read that they had bacteria problems which certainly made sense when you realize how close their residential septic systems were to their wells. I wonder if the Region drilled new deeper wells or moved them further away? Regardless except for their 2013 test results all looks good. In fact it looks so good I have to wonder why the Region's original plan of a pipeline from Conestoga to West Montrose using Conestoga's water supply was replaced with a further pipeline over to St. Jacobs and tapping into the Integrated Urban Supply (IUS).

The Maryhill Village Heights Water Supply consists of wells MH3 and MH4A. Bacteria results are fine in the raw water although Turbidity is high. Everything else is good with the exception of once again 2013 test results for chemicals in the treated water.

The Maryhill Water Supply System consists of wells MH1 and MH2. Turbidity of the raw water here is also high albeit bacteria levels and everything else appear fine with two exceptions. The test reults are all from 2013 and Chloramines are a problem. Chloramines are formed from ammonium sulphate being added during treatment which is supposed to make a more stable disinfectant in the distribution system as well as help keep Trihalomethanes (THMs) at lower levels. THMs are also a by-product of disinfection. Notably the Region have not been reporting THM levels in the Maryhill Systems as well as many others. Both THMs and Chloramines are health issues in their own right. Mixed together is anybody's guess.

The Heidelburg Water Supply System is a bit of a geographical/political conundrum. It also supplies water to St. Clements which is in Wellesley Township. The system consists of wells HD1 and HD2 with HD1 offline for 28 weeks during 2015. Everything looks good including THMs at 19.8 ppb. (100 is the standard) except for the 2013 test results. They are especially disconcerting when one realizes that there has been a former gas station under remediation for decades. I do not know how these two wells have not drawn gasoline hydrocarbons into themselves over that time period.