ALMOST THE REST OF THE CITY OF WATERLOO DRINKING REPORTS

Keep in mind that most of us in Woolwich Township are primarily drinking and using water supplied from the City of Waterloo via pipeline. This includes Elmira, St. Jacobs, West Montrose and half (northern) of Conestogo. The Erb St. Well Supply consists of three groundwater wells namely W6B, W7 and W8. Similar to the William St. System discussed here yesterday, it appears as if a well has gone MIA (missing in action), in this case W6A. Unfortunately the Region fail to advise readers as to where and why wells either "disappear". It would be appropriate to let readers know if wells in a particular wellfield are being "rested" or have been decommissioned and why. ................................................................................................... Turbidity levels appear acceptable as are chlorine levels generally although there was one event of a high chlorine level (2.48 mg/l) due to a brief high Turbidity level which requires higher cjhlorine to kill any bacteria. Sodium is quite low and nitrites and nitrates are good. Solvent and herbicide levels are generally good albeit there are seven of them with Method Detection Limits at 1 part per billion (ppb or ug/l) or highere. These detection limits can hide detections of these toxins in our water. Also Dichloromethane was detected at 2.02 ppb which while below the criteria is still far too high. Glyphosate (Roundup) at a MDL of 25 ppb. is disgraceful and I believe a tacit admission by the Region that this herbicide has become ubiquitous in our drinking water supplies. Chloramines (disinfection by-product) are occasionally found at greater than half the Ontario drinking water standard. Inconveniently neither Haloacetic Acids (HAA) nor THM (Trihalomethane) results are shown in this report. Possibly they can be found elsewhere but these two toxic disinfection by-products should be listed here as well. ................................................................................................... The very proximity of these wells to the Erb St. Landfill for many decades has always concerned me. The Region need to be doing much better testing and at lower MDLs. Breakthrough of solvents, courtesy of either legal or illegal disposal of them by industries, can not be ruled out despite retrofitting of leachate controls etc. Initial locations of municipal (and industrial) landfills near water wells is never a good idea.