Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

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.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

E. coli

Fire chief, water operator detail response to Hillsburgh boil water advisory

Fire chief, water operator detail response to Hillsburgh boil water advisory

Before a boil water advisory for Hillsburgh residents was lifted last week, Erin fire chief Jim Sawkins was already praising the town’s response during a July 13 council meeting. “Our first priority last night was to get the message out, to get them to stop drinking their water,” the chief said of department’s July 12 response to the advisory. “Before I left last night, after buying them seven pizzas, I said, ‘You know what, you should be proud, the town is proud. You guys came together very quickly and did this,’” Sawkins told council of a conversation he had with the 25 volunteer firefighters who hand-delivered notices to affected residents.

Come on in, the water’s fine: Sask. lake shakes off the algae

Come on in, the water’s fine: Sask. lake shakes off the algae

In July, 2022, an SHA notice posted on the resort village’s Facebook page warned people to avoid swimming or skiing and to keep children and pets away from the water. The village later levels of toxic blue-green algae were 600 times higher than recommended for public recreation. This year, it’s a different story. “We don’t have any issues in terms of blue-green algae and E. coli,” said Mattick. “So it’s good for swimming or whatever you want to do.”

High levels of E. coli bacteria close 2 Moncton lakes

High levels of E. coli bacteria close 2 Moncton lakes

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.

Health unit warns not to swim at Sandpoint and Lakeshore beaches — high bacteria levels detected

Health unit warns not to swim at Sandpoint and Lakeshore beaches — high bacteria levels detected

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is warning swimmers not to go in the water at Sandpoint Beach in Windsor and Lakeshore Lakeview Park West Beach. The agency launched its annual testing program this week — taking samples from eight local beaches. Beach water samples grabbed by inspectors at Sandpoint and in Lakeshore showed high bacterial counts of E. coli.

Province giving out chemical testing kits to Newfoundland and Labrador well owners

Province giving out chemical testing kits to Newfoundland and Labrador well owners

The provincial government is handing out free chemical testing kits to well owners throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The pilot program looks to give well owners information on the safety of their drinking water and collect baseline groundwater data for the province. About 2,000 chemical test kits will be distributed. The kits can be picked up at no cost at various Digital Government and Service N.L. regional offices.

'Exceedingly high' levels of E. coli detected in Belleisle Bay

'Exceedingly high' levels of E. coli detected in Belleisle Bay

Results from recent water tests in the Belleisle Bay reveal abnormally high levels of E. coli. When tested in late September, the Belleisle Watershed Coalition determined E. coli levels in the bay were an average 257 per 100 millilitres of water. That's 367 times higher than the average level of 0.7 E. coli per 100 millilitres detected in August. Some of these levels exceed what Health Canada considers to be safe for recreation, which for the measuring technique used, is less than 200 per 100 millilitres of water. In drinking water, Health Canada recommends no detectable E. coli.

Jean-Doré beach reopens after bacteria contamination

Jean-Doré beach reopens after bacteria contamination

The beach on Île Notre-Dame in Jean-Drapeau Park has reopened after being closed since Wednesday because of an E. coli contamination. Testing had been under way over the past few days, with results from Thursday showing the water is now safe to swim in, Quebec's Environment Ministry shared late Friday afternoon. It's sure to be welcome news for anyone looking to head to the beach ahead of what's expected to be a hot weekend in the city.

Rash of Parlee Beach no-swim advisories continues to cause concern

Rash of Parlee Beach no-swim advisories continues to cause concern

Three no-swimming advisories at Parlee Beach due to high fecal bacteria were issued this week, bringing the total to 13 so far this summer. The advisories were issued because E. coli and enterococcus bacteria counts exceeded Canadian recreational water quality guidelines at the provincial park east of Shediac, N.B. Barb Leck, who has a cottage in nearby Pointe-du-Chêne, has been coming to the beach each summer.

Swimming not recommended at all but 2 local beaches due to E. coli

Swimming not recommended at all but 2 local beaches due to E. coli

Swimming is not recommended at six local beaches and one is closed due to high levels of E. coli. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says six beaches — Belle River Beach, Colchester Beach, Holiday Beach, Mettawas Beach, Point Pelee and Seacliff Beach — are not currently recommended for swimming due to the presence of the illness-causing bacteria. The beaches are under a warning, meaning the waters are unsafe for swimming, but they remain open.

E. coli a growing concern for some Vancouver residents

E. coli a growing concern for some Vancouver residents

Rodrigo Silva de Paula calls himself a "water man": he spends about 330 days a year in the ocean teaching paddle boarding. But high E. coli levels in some of Vancouver's beaches are testing his patience. "It is frustrating because it is not the first time it has happened," said the 44-year-old who lives in Vancouver. Silva de Paula is one of many residents calling on the city to do more to keep beaches safe from the bacteria.

Climate-driven flooding poses well water contamination risks

Climate-driven flooding poses well water contamination risks

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.

Floating island launched in Vancouver's Trout Lake meant to improve water quality

Floating island launched in Vancouver's Trout Lake meant to improve water quality

Trout Lake in East Vancouver is often among the first places in the city to be closed to swimmers each year because of poor water quality — namely E. coli. It's a scenic, small lake in John Hendry Park that's popular with locals, as well as ducks and geese. On Monday, the Vancouver Park Board launched a floating island into the lake with the goal of increasing biodiversity and helping with water quality.

Gull wires won't go up at 2 Ottawa beaches this summer

Gull wires won't go up at 2 Ottawa beaches this summer

Residents are worried about a potential increase of E. coli because the City of Ottawa won't install wires to prevent birds at Britannia and Mooney's Bay beaches this season. The wires were installed three metres above sections of those beaches a number of years ago to help prevent the congregation of gulls, which are linked to driving up E. coli counts in nearby water. The city said the wires will not go up this summer as it searches for other ways to manage seagulls and other birds.

Canada’s First Nations Start Filing Claims for Historic Water Settlement

Canada’s First Nations Start Filing Claims for Historic Water Settlement

This story was originally published by Grist. You can subscribe to its weekly newsletter here. For years, First Nations in Canada have been denied access to clean drinking water. Many Indigenous communities have to deal with brown, sludgy water and the destructive health impacts it brought. Some have spent years relying on boiled or bottled water. As of March 8, 2022, there were 23 short-term drinking water advisories in place across the country, that range from boil water advisories to Do Not Consume notices. Now, the Canadian government will have to pay for it.

Canada to compensate First Nations for decades of dirty water

Canada to compensate First Nations for decades of dirty water

It’s Tuesday, January 5, and Canada is spending billions on clean drinking water for First Nations communities. Tens of thousands of Indigenous people in Canada have spent decades without reliable access to clean drinking water. Now, the Canadian government has plans to put it right. A court-approved settlement released late last month commits Canada to spending more than $4 billion on improvements to drinking water infrastructure at hundreds of Indigenous reserves throughout the country. Another $1.18 billion will be provided in damages to some 140,000 First Nations people who have lived under drinking water advisories for longer than a year, often under orders to boil water to avoid potential contamination from bacteria like E. coli.

P.E.I. to offer free well-water tests starting Jan. 1

P.E.I. to offer free well-water tests starting Jan. 1

P.E.I. will start offering free well-water testing beginning Jan. 1. Legislation requiring the province offer free testing was introduced during the fall sitting of the legislature by Liberal MLA Hal Perry. The bill technically came into effect when it received royal assent on Nov. 17. Under the legislation, Island wells can be tested once every two years at no charge for water chemistry, and once every six months for E. coli and coliform.

Construction contaminates well water in area near Montfort Hospital, residents say

Construction contaminates well water in area near Montfort Hospital, residents say

If the developer's proposal is approved, residents say they're worried the required deep drilling and excavation could leave their water undrinkable. It's a problem homeowners said they've watched emerge over decades of routine testing. "We seem to be in a kind of Groundhog Day scenario as each development comes up," said Al Crosby, who has lived in Fairhaven since 1978.

Is your well doing well? Water well, that is.

Is your well doing well? Water well, that is.

With many residents of Woodlands County utilizing well water, the municipality hosted a virtual workshop on October 21 on managing wells. The event streamed live and enabled attendees to ask questions in real-time. Multiple specialists were on hand, including Jeff Hammer, a Public Health Inspector for Alberta Health Services. Hammer discussed the importance of testing water and why it’s essential to do so. “We have two types of tests available at the health units. One is a bacteriological bottle which we test for total Coliform and E. coli. Total Coliform is an indicator of bacteria, and E. coli is basically fecal matter which you never want to see. The other type of test we have is a chemical water sample. It does a bunch of minerals and metals and has some more health parameters associated with it.” Hammer said that some of the minerals and metals tested for include manganese, lead, arsenic, and the pH value of the water.

Brossard on Montreal's South Shore lifts boil-water advisory

Brossard on Montreal's South Shore lifts boil-water advisory

The city of Brossard has lifted a boil-water advistory that had been in place since Saturday. Results from a lab analysis on the weekend showed Brossard's aqueduct network contained traces of E. coli. In a statement on its website Tuesday, the city said the advisory had been lifted.

13 no-swim advisories at Parlee Beach over water quality so far this year

13 no-swim advisories at Parlee Beach over water quality so far this year

High fecal bacteria counts at New Brunswick's marquee beach have resulted in 13 days of no-swim advisories this year, the most at this point of the summer since test results have been publicly available. The advisories were issued because E. coli and enterococcus bacteria counts exceeded Canadian recreational water quality guidelines at the provincial park east of Shediac.

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