Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
People in Sanirajak, Nunavut, are asked to keep their water at a rolling boil for at least one minute before using it. That's because total coliform bacteria has been found in the water system, and people could get sick from drinking tap water, according to the territory's Department of Health. People should boil any water used for drinking; preparing infant formulas, ice, juice, or meals; brushing teeth; and washing fruit and vegetables.
Unquestionably, dumping more than 300 million litres of sewage-tinged water into the Ottawa River stinks. But it’s hard to imagine what that much sewage overflow actually does to a waterway. So, we asked the experts about the impact of the city’s decision to release that volume of water following the massive Aug. 10 storm—and what can be done to prevent this in the future.
Mooney's Bay beach has been closed as the city investigates a potentially harmful blue-green algae bloom on the water. Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria called cyanobacteria that can form large blooms on water, said Emily Morrison, program manager of the healthy environments team at Ottawa Public Health (OPH).
Sample results are in but the water in Puslinch is still stinky and private well owners are told it is their responsibility to treat their water. “The results show odour causing organics were detected in untreated well water,” said in an update from the Township of Puslinch website with information provided by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).
Three Toronto beaches have been deemed unsafe to swim due to high levels of bacteria in Lake Ontario on Friday. E.coli levels at Marie Curtis Park East in Mississauga, Sunnyside Beach in downtown Toronto, and Kew Balmy Beach in the Beaches have been labelled as “unsafe to swim” by the City of Toronto ahead of the weekend. E. coli are a bacteria that can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, and other illnesses, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The levels are predicted to be above 100 E.coli per 100ml of water, which may pose a risk to human health, according to the city’s water quality data.
During Friday’s sweltering hot weather, some Maritimers visited lakefront beaches and were not able to swim due to high E. coli levels. This was the case for Haja Nabay and her son who stopped by Albro Lake Beach in Dartmouth Friday, only to find out that the beach was closed to swimming due to high bacterial levels deemed unsafe for swimming.
Two advisories, one for blue-green algae and another for fecal bacteria levels, have now been issued for the waters of Lac La Biche lake in the days leading up to the Canada Day weekend. Alberta Health Services (AHS) officials issued a blue-green algae advisory on Thursday, warning that areas of the lake were affected by an outbreak of the naturally-occurring bacteria that can appear on the surface as a green, blue, pink or brown-tinged "scum" or "glob". Human contact with blue-green algae can cause irritation to skin and the eyes. It can also cause nausea and diarrhea. The symptoms are more prominent in children, and can appear within a few hours of water contact. Ingestion of water with the bacteria can be fatal to pets.
The City of Moncton says Jones Lake and the lake at Centennial Park are closed to recreational use until further notice because of high E. coli counts. The city issued a public advisory Wednesday, saying routine testing found high counts of the fecal bacteria. The lakes are closed for swimming, kayaking, canoeing and other recreational activities, and dogs should not be allowed to swim in or drink the water.
Washington state officials and farmers are calling on the British Columbia government to act on water quality reports that show large amounts of bacteria are flowing from north of the border into the Nooksack River watershed. They say high levels of fecal coliform — of which E. coli is a subgroup — are flowing from a Fraser Valley creek into Pepin Creek in Washington before entering the Nooksack, which empties into the sea near shellfish beds owned by the Lummi Nation.
A northern Washington farmer advocacy group is calling on Gov. Jay Inslee to act swiftly to address poor water quality in their region due to what they claim is contamination flowing from rivers originating in Canada. In their June 6 letter to Inslee, Whatcom Family Farmers Executive Director Fred Likkel and Northern Lynden Water Improvement District President Larry Stap described the Nooksack River Basin as contaminated with "extremely high levels of bacteria" coming from the other side of the Canadian border. "Given the current issues surrounding international flooding, as well as issues surrounding water rights and an impending adjudication of water rights in Whatcom County, immediate action is imperative on this subject," the letter states.
A rare and fatal flesh-eating bacteria is slowly creeping up the eastern U.S. coast, and some experts warn that it could eventually find its way into Canada if climate change continues to heat our oceans and lakes. The bacteria Vibrio vulnificus is usually found in subtropical regions, like the Gulf Coast (in states like Florida and Texas), which is home to warm waters with low salt content. But a recent study published on March 23 in the Scientific Reports journal said that over the last few decades, there has been an increase in the bacteria in northern locations near New Jersey and Delaware.
The global water dispenser market is expected to reach a value of $1,461.87 million by 2028 from $900.16 million in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 8.42%. Investing in advanced filtration technologies can enable vendors to gain a competitive edge in the market, especially in the case of efficient reverse osmosis and UV technologies. The momentum for bottle-less or POU water dispensers is witnessing traction owing to their environmental and economic advantages over bottled dispensers. Corporate offices are implementing green policies in their day-to-day operations, where installing a POU system can be an ideal option to avoid plastic water jugs.
Islanders in rural areas using wells are being asked to test their water following power outages due to Fiona. Bacteria like coliform, which can make people sick, can form in pipes if there is no water filling them. Amy Carver lives in Long Creek and says she found out her water should be tested through a family friend. "We went and got tested as soon as we could and came back positive for coliform bacteria in a number that's not a safe number to have in your drinking water. And now we have a whole new set of adjustments to make," she said. "The lab that does the testing gave us an outline of precautions we needed to take and different ways to manage some household activities such as dishes. You can use the water to wash them, but you have to sanitize them in a bleach solution and air dry them."
The Parkland College, Yorkton Tribal Council and Indigenous Services Canada have teamed together to bring a water and wastewater operators course to Indigenous communities. The 19-week course is called, Intro to Water Operators. The course is aimed to provide foundational training in the field of water treatment. It’s a hybrid of both in-person math classes and online classes taught by ATAP Infrastructure Management Ltd., which specializes in water treatment courses.
Nova Scotia Health says it will pause testing water for chemicals in the province's central zone beginning Monday due to a worldwide shortage of an unnamed chemical component used in the testing. The health authority said it will reassess the situation in three to four weeks. According to the province, more than 40 per cent of Nova Scotia households get their drinking water from wells. It encourages regular testing.
Beachgoers in the Ottawa region have hardly had to avoid the water this summer after weeks of E. coli testing showing low levels in the city's monitored beaches. Katy Alambo, a biologist with Ottawa Riverkeeper, says that while it's difficult to predict a trend from summer to summer, this season is shaping up to be much better than last. "So far, so good. The majority of the beaches have been testing really well," Alambo said.
As summer temperatures rise, Canadians may have trouble finding a place to cool off in the sweltering heat for reasons ranging from E.Coli in British Columbia to shark sightings in Nova Scotia. It’s an especially hot summer, with heat warnings by Environment Canada for many cities across the country in July. Temperatures are creeping above 30 degrees Celsius. Some Canadians have even been evacuated from their homes due to wildfires, like the one in Lytton, B.C. this month.
Penhorn Beach in Dartmouth, N.S., is closed to swimming until further notice due to high levels of bacteria in the water. Recent testing by city staff showed the bacteria levels exceed Health Canada swimming guidelines, according to a news release from the Halifax Regional Municipality on Friday. High bacteria levels can be caused by a number of factors, including dogs, birds, wildlife, and high temperatures.
After a record-setting Midwestern rainstorm that damaged thousands of homes and businesses, Stefanie Johnson’s farmhouse in Blandinsville, Illinois, didn’t have safe drinking water for nearly two months. Flood water poured into her well, turning the water a muddy brown and forcing Johnson, her husband and their two young children to use store-bought supplies. Even after sediment cleared, testing found bacteria — including E. coli, which can cause diarrhea. The family boiled water for drinking and cooking. The YMCA was a refuge for showers.
