NO SURPRISE THE SOURCE OF THE SPILL INTO THE GRAND HAS BEEN FOUND

The title above was going to be "No Surprise.........Identified" except that finding the guilty party and identifying them are two different things. Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story titled "Potential Source of Grand River spill identified". Indeed it seemed pretty obvious that as the industrial area along Centennial Road, beside Kolb Park, is so small that it could only be a very few suspects.

There are a number of very tiny firms along this area, including ones of a seasonal nature. If this spill had occurred between say December and the end of March it could very well have been due to an unattended leaking tank. At this time of year however that seems less likely.

We are advised that the source was a used oil tank on the property. What has not been explained is the claim that the oil "was leaking into the storm sewer through a private storm drain". All properties within the municipal limits most likely have sanitary sewer service as in toilets etc. hooked up to sanitary sewers which go to the nearest STP (ie. wastewater treatment plant). Private storm sewer lines into companies seem a tad less likely. Catch basins on the streets absolutely as they directly collect rainwater but private storm sewer lines into industrial/commercial companies seems to me to be begging for abuse. In other words companies pay for the volume of waste water that they send to the STP but untreated rain water should be going into the nearest storm sewer for direct discharge into the nearest creek or river.

My other concern with this "spill" into the Grand River is the volume. But for the size of the spill no one would ever have noticed it. Has this happened from the same location before only of a much smaller volume? Further investigation is required including a careful audit of this company's volumes of used oil generated. Finally I think that we the public are owed much more information as it is our drinking water affected. My last question is this. Is this used motor oil as in from a fleet of vehicles or is it some type of used industrial oil from machinery? All these questions are relevant and should be answered publicly.