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

Greater Sudbury

Mobile Water Station Available to Residents Under Drinking Water Advisory in the Capreol area of Greater Sudbury

Mobile Water Station Available to Residents Under Drinking Water Advisory in the Capreol area of Greater Sudbury

A water main break south of Capreol has caused a service interruption for approximately 1,300 customers. Crews are onsite and making repairs. Residents who are currently under a drinking water advisory in Capreol, will have access to safe drinking water via the City of Greater Sudbury’s Water Buggy. The Water Buggy will be located at the Suez Bulk Water Filling Station located north of 5081 Capreol Rd. (Regional Rd. 84), Hanmer, until the advisory has been lifted. Water is also available at City water filling stations. Please bring your own containers.

Greater Sudbury drinking water still salty in annual report

Greater Sudbury drinking water still salty in annual report

Once salt permeates a drinking water system, it tends to remain there unless treated by a cost-prohibitively expensive system which also robs drinking water of healthy minerals. So describes City of Greater Sudbury water treatment manager Julie Friel while reflecting on the city’s latest annual water quality report, released earlier this week. 

Sudbury has old water pipes with leakage rates as high as 47%

Sudbury has old water pipes with leakage rates as high as 47%

Greater Sudbury has the oldest system of underground water pipes among similar cities in Canada, according to a new report headed to a city committee next week. While overall leakage rates are about average in Sudbury, in the Levack area it was 47 per cent, meaning almost half of the drinking water processed in the area was being lost. More recently, a very large leak was uncovered in the Levack system that was largely responsible for the problem.

New smart meters in Sudbury will help track water waste, consumption

New smart meters in Sudbury will help track water waste, consumption

The new smart water meter system being installed in homes across Greater Sudbury will help customers track water consumption, in real time. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city embarked on a $17 million project to switch old water meters to smart technology. After several delays, the work continues with more than 80 per cent of customers still to change over.

It’s unclear how many lead pipes carry drinking water in Greater Sudbury

It’s unclear how many lead pipes carry drinking water in Greater Sudbury

In an effort to remove financial barriers that prevent some people from getting lead water pipes replaced, the City of Greater Sudbury is poised to look at opportunities to help get the lead out. Earlier this week, the city’s operations committee resolved to request a business case from city staff for the creation of a subsidy and loan program to replace private-side lead pipes. Their unanimous approval means it’s likely city council will ratify the decision at an upcoming meeting and a business case will be drafted for future consideration. The proposed program would include a grant of up to $3,000, an interest-free loan of up to $10,000 to be paid back over 10 years and provisions for water filters for homes built in 1960 and prior with confirmed lead water service.

Sudbury's urban Junction Creek to see first ever Water Walk ceremony

Sudbury's urban Junction Creek to see first ever Water Walk ceremony

The first ever water walk of Junction Creek in Greater Sudbury, is being planned for later this month. The urban waterway is well known for the litter and debris that collects in it regularly. But lead conductor, Tasha Beeds, says that's why they're doing it. The Indigenous ceremony of water walking calls attention to the life-giving nature water provides.

Sudburians brave Nepahwin’s freezing water to raise awareness of First Nations water woes

Sudburians brave Nepahwin’s freezing water to raise awareness of First Nations water woes

For the past month, Greater Sudbury’s Jordan Cheff has been taking dips in the freezing waters of Lake Nepahwin. November and December might seem like an odd time to visit the beach, but it’s all part of Cheff’s initiative, Cold Water 4 Clean Water, which aims to raise awareness of the issue of FIrst Nations communities in Canada that are living without clean water. The issue has been in the news lately, as the federal government says it will not meet a marquee pledge by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lift all boil-water advisories in First Nations communities by March 2021.

A rare look inside the Sudbury hill that holds 36 million litres of drinking water

A rare look inside the Sudbury hill that holds 36 million litres of drinking water

You can find the symbols of Sudbury on the city's skyline. The Big Nickel, the Superstack and the green water tower perched over the downtown. But that tower hasn't had any water in it for nearly 30 years. It was replaced by something else that can also be seen on Sudbury's skyline, but is far from iconic and is most often ignored. Inside a hill in the Minnow Lake neighbourhood, sandwiched between Howey Drive and the Kingsway, is the Ellis Reservoir.

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