THIRTY-SIX WASTED "CLEANUP" YEARS HERE IN ELMIRA - FOR WATER WE DESPERATELY NEED

Last Thursday Julian Gavaghan and the Woolwich Observer published the following story titled "Region left scrambling after water shortage poses development challenges".  Overall it is an excellent article and I say this despite recent criticism from myself aimed towards both the Observer and particularly the K-W Record. In the Record's case it had to do with multiple errors in a November 15/25 Record article describing the Elmira Water Crisis and the failed 2028 cleanup. Last Thursday's Observer article delineates the sensitive jurisdictional areas shared between the Region and the Townships and cities in regards to development growth. 

I am somewhat concerned when mayor Shantz suggests that "We will have to work with our development community to ensure new neighbourhoods have the services they need." Woolwich's priority right now should be sustaining services including water and sewage to our established neighbourhoods who have been paying the freight through taxes for many decades. Secondly at least mayor Shantz suggested that Woolwich is working "with" not "for" the development community because it often looks like that. 

The Region of Waterloo has approximately 100 groundwater wells however lots of them are contaminated with industrial pollution including Trichloroethylene, benzene and NDMA. The Region have always found it politic NOT to discuss those MAJOR boo boos. Besides the industrial pollution there is also agricultural pollution from nitrates and Glyphosate as well as salt from our roads. Gravel pits are also a threat to our groundwater although they are rarely denied permits to either expand or dig new ones even closer to potential markets saving transportation costs to the aggregates industry.  

The Observer article also points out the very negative effects our current Conservative Premier has had upon our water sources with less oversight and Ministerial Zoning Orders. There was also discussion of the huge costs of building a pipeline from Lake Erie to Waterloo Region. I might suggest that perhaps further discussion around the alleged impossibility of mixing the two water systems with their different disinfection systems (chlorine vs. chloaramines)  would be appropriate.