WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP DRINKING WATER REPORTS

There seems to me to be some repetition in these drinking water reports above and beyond the fact that the vast majority of water users in Woolwich Township are drinking City of Waterloo water which I have described here over the last three days. Right now I'm looking at the "Woolwich North System" four page report. There were four adverse incidents of Total Coliform bacteria being present on August 1, September 22, 23 and 24, 2020. The Corrective Action described consisted of flushing and resampling which appears to have resolved the issue. I presume we are talking about water within Woolwich Township's distribution system that was initially supplied from the City of Waterloo. Lead testing shows that while lead is present in the Distribution system (pipes, hydrants etc.) it is below the provincial criteria. Unfortunately there is no testing of asbestos which most certainly is in the system as the Town of Elmira still have some water pipes made of asbestos. Both Haloacetic Acids and Trihalomethanes are tested and both are below the provincial criteria. ............................................................................................................. The half of the water system in Conestogo not on the Integrated Urban System (IUS) is located in and around the Conestoga Golf Course. It consists of two groundwater wells known as C5 and C6. Now I have just reread these two reports and they are somewhat muddy and unclear. While two wells (C5 & C6) are listed as the source water at the same time the "Conestogo Golf Water Supply System" states that the source water comes from Waterloo. Yes there is a pipeline from St. Jacobs over to the village of Conestogo (and then on to West Montrose) but what about the very longtime two wells located in and around the Conestogo Golf Course that have been used as the source water for the houses around the golf course? I think the confusion arises from my knowing that there were two separate well systems in Conestogo for decades but these reports do not clarify which wells are out of service or whether the IUS is being mixed with the Golf Course wells. Regardless solvents and Method Detection Limits share the same problems as the Waterloo System testing process. The separate report for the "Conestogo Golf Distribution System" lists the results for Haloacetic Acids (HAA) and Trihalomethanes (THM) and both are below the criteria. ............................................................................................................. There are two separate systems in the village of Maryhill. The first consists of two wells known as MH1 and MH2. Bacteria levels are very low as are both Nitrites and Nitrates. Sodium is high as in 84.8 mg/l. Solvents and herbicides have six with very high MDL (method detection limits) greater than or equal to 1 part per billion. HAAs and THMs do not have their concentrations listed in this report. .................................................................................................. The second Water System in Maryhill is known as the "Maryhill Village Heights". It consists of groundwater wells MH3, MH4A and MH5. These wells also have very low bacteria levels although the water occasionally has high Turbidity (murkiness). Sodium levels are considerably lower than in the other Maryhill system although Nitrates are higher albeit still below the criteria. Solvent and herbicide reporting share the same inadequacies as most Region of waterloo water reports including ridiculously high Method Detection Limits (25 ppb) for Glyphosate (Roundup). ........................................................................................... Possibly to add further confusion and make these reports difficult to understand and criticize, the Heidelburg Distribution System is part of the Woolwich Township Drinking Water System whereas the Heidelburg Water Supply System is listed as part of Wellesley Township. This is despite the fact that the actual wells are located in Woolwich Township although apparently the water does flow to both communities. The only item of note is the somewhat higher levels of Haloacetic Acids although they are still below the provincial criteria. Again as is usual the Region do not feel the need to let water consumers know wehat these criteria are. It is a simple YES or No in regards to "exceedances". Not impressive.