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

filters

Influence of point-of-use dispensers on lead level assessment in drinking water of a lead pipe-free campus

Influence of point-of-use dispensers on lead level assessment in drinking water of a lead pipe-free campus

Point-of-use (POU) dispensers, referring to those directly connected to the water supply lines, are widely used in public facilities such as schools and universities in Taiwan. These dispensers are equipped with filters that can remove contaminants, including heavy metals in drinking water. Assessment of water lead (Pb) levels rely heavily on sampling surveys that involve various sampling protocols. This study evaluated the effects of using first draw (FD), flush (FL) incorporating at least 20 s of flushing, and random daytime (RDT) sampling protocols on Pb level assessment in water samples collected from faucets and POU dispensers of a Pb pipe-free campus between March 2017 and July 2020. This was the first study to examine the influence of POU dispensers on different sampling protocols and their survey results. Pb levels in 19% of faucet and 11% of dispenser samples exceeded the Taiwan EPA standard of 10 μg/L. FL sampling produced the lowest Pb levels, followed by RDT and FD in the samples collected from faucets. Interestingly, all three sampling protocols exhibited similar Pb levels in samples collected from dispensers. Thus, any of the three sampling protocols can be employed to monitor Pb levels in water samples collected from dispensers.

Foundation working to bring filters for clean water across Ontario reserves

Foundation working to bring filters for clean water across Ontario reserves

Water is an extremely important part of Indigenous culture which makes the fact that 27 Indigenous communities across Canada are living with a boil water advisory while countless others struggle for access to clean water that much more devastating. “Water is very important to Indigenous people,” Beverley Maracle, a resident of Six Nations of the Grand River, told CityNews. “Water is medicine to Indigenous people and we need water for life. So water is life.”

City revamps communication around lead service lines on website, annual letters

City revamps communication around lead service lines on website, annual letters

The city has made headway on its commitment to improve communication and education on lead service connections (LSC) in Regina with updates to its website and annual mail-out. “It’s very important that we share information with residents and make it as clear as possible and … as easy as possible to get filters, to get lead service connections replaced,” Kurtis Doney, director of water, waste and environment for the City of Regina, said in an interview Tuesday.

Humboldt expands lead water testing program for two years

Humboldt expands lead water testing program for two years

In the fall of 2021, 45 Humboldt homeowners of century-old properties participated in a city initiative to test for lead – but that doesn’t necessarily mean renters were told. These numbers were discussed at Humboldt council during their regular meeting on Jan. 24, where council voted on expanding the program for a further two-year term testing 622 century-old properties. All affected property owners from the 2021 testing were notified of the results along with information about guidelines, contact information to discuss full replacement of the pipe as well as noting that filters exist to address the issue in the short term. However, the homeowner is not obligated to inform the person living there.

This city will rely on bottled water for weeks because of high lead levels

This city will rely on bottled water for weeks because of high lead levels

State officials on Thursday defended their response to a lead crisis in a small southwestern Michigan city, telling lawmakers that steps to reduce corrosion in aging water pipes began in 2019, just a few months after tests revealed troubling results. Benton Harbor residents will be urged to use free bottled water for drinking and cooking for weeks more, until a federal study confirms that filters can work effectively with the city's tap water, Liesl Clark, the head of Michigan's environmental agency, said.

Changes coming to Regina's lead pipe program after new Health Canada guidelines

Changes coming to Regina's lead pipe program after new Health Canada guidelines

Changes are coming to the way the City of Regina manages the lead pipes that carry drinking water after changes to the Health Canada guidelines. According to a report presented to Regina's public works committee, in the coming year the city plans to increase lead pipe replacements, improve construction best-practices and improve record-keeping for city and privately owned lead pipe connections. The city will also explore the feasibility and implications of corrosion control and continue to educate the public about lead pipes.

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