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.
A New Brunswick tourist destination is getting some help fixing its water supply. Fundy Albert, which includes Alma next to Fundy National Park, is getting $12 million to upgrade its aging water infrastructure. This comes after years of boil-water advisories in the community, including one that lasted from July to October.
City councillors in Whitehorse say they want more information before moving ahead with designing a $39-million upgrade to the city's water treatment system. Councillors heard last week from city staff that the upgrade would add a new filtration system — needed because the city's groundwater quality has been changing. The design itself, which councillors voted Tuesday to delay, would cost about $2 million and be done by the end of 2025.
The City of Whitehorse is facing a pricey upgrade to its water treatment system, after officials noticed changes in the quality of the city's groundwater in recent years. The proposal is to add a new filtration system, at a price of about $39 million — and the city is not yet sure where that money will come from. There's also a timeline, as the work would need to be done before the city's water licence comes up for renewal in five years. "At no time is our water not safe to drink," said Mike Firlotte, the city's water and wastewater services manager.
Some water infrastructure in Port Hawkesbury will see upgrades following the announcement of $3.3 million in funding from three levels of government. The money will be used to upgrade the water supply and distribution system, including the construction of a new above-ground building and associated equipment to replace the Pitt Street water tower and the existing pressure-reducing valve vault on MacDonald Street.
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.
Flood mitigation infrastructure that did not meet provincial standards caused British Columbia’s agriculture sector to lose $285 million, according to a new Senate report. The study, “Treading Water: The Impact and Response to the 2021 British Columbia Floods,” released on Thursday included testimony and previous analysis on local infrastructure, which concluded 87 per cent of dikes in the province’s Lower Mainland were in “less than fair condition,” and 71 per cent of dikes were expected to “fail simply by overtopping.”
An upgrade project at one of Summerland’s reservoirs has been completed under budget. The official opening of the Isintok Dam outlet was held on July 19 at the reservoir lake west of Summerland. A dam has been in place at this lake since 1926. In 2013, a video inspection revealed the outlet pipe would need to be replaced. The contract for the detail design work was awarded in the spring of 2019 and the construction work began in August 2021.
Water and drainage may not be as exciting as a new park or recreation centre, but they are vital to keep a city running. In 2022, $35 million will be invested in water, wastewater and stormwater protection projects that help with the daily function of our City. “Our Water and Wastewater Utilities at the City operate and maintain infrastructure that ensures what’s underground is in shape,” said Rod MacLean, Infrastructure delivery project manager. “This year, a number of capital projects across the City will improve the function of our water, wastewater, drainage and flood protection systems.”
The municipality of Lakeshore will be getting a new much-needed upgrade to its sewage facility after the plant reached its operational capacity last year putting a damper on new development in the region. "We had fears that it could be two [or] three years before we would get this built and we're pleased it's moving along so fast," Lakeshore mayor Tom Bain said.
The federal and provincial governments are providing joint funding totalling over $29 million for 19 green infrastructure and water distribution projects across Ontario. The rehabilitation and upgrade of the Forsythe West Stormwater Management Facility in Uxbridge is among the projects to receive funding. The existing stormwater pond will be modified to increase stormwater management capacity which includes installing stormwater storage and infiltration tanks, new concrete pipes, maintenance holes and new headwalls to direct water flow and protect roads and embankments from erosion.
Chief Rickard has announced last night that Garden River First Nation has received $2.8M to upgrade the water lines in the community. The original lines were installed 50 years ago with minimal resources and funding. The upgrades will include the Ojibway subdivision, including the Green Sky, Gemah and Shingwauk Street area. “This project will continue to protect one of our most sacred gifts and necessities of life- access to clean and safe water for our people. Our goal is to strive for future infrastructure improvements throughout the community,” Chief Rickard comments in the press release.
This past November marked 25 years since Neskantaga First Nation, located in Northwestern Ontario, was placed on a boil water advisory. In October 2020, over 250 Neskantaga residents were evacuated and transferred to a hotel in Thunder Bay after “an oily sheen was found in the Neskantaga water reservoir;” “high levels of hydrocarbons” were discovered in the water after testing. Residents were able to return after two months, but the boil water advisory remains. Chief Chris Moonias has called upon Ontario Premier Doug Ford to support Neskantaga First Nation in securing clean drinking water and properly trained water operators – Ford has yet to respond. Ending all boil-water advisories in Canada can no longer be delayed; Ford must act in accordance with the concerns of the Neskantaga First Nation immediately.
There’s hope at the end of a long water pipe for Verner residents who have endured ‘brown water’ issues for decades. The culprit is high levels of manganese, a naturally occurring mineral in the Veuve River. And it’s been a problem ever since the water plant was built in the 1970s. On Tuesday, West Nipissing council received a report that recommends connecting the community of 1,100 people to municipal water services as the best solution.
Students plan to launch a second letter-writing campaign in the new year addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller calling for clean running water for First Nations communities. The letter campaign is called "We haven't forgotten you," said Frank Pio, the school board's Indigenous education teacher. "It's really unfair that they don't get safe water to drink," Comazzi said.
The Yukon government is suing a construction company for $1.5 million over what it claims was a botched upgrade to the Mayo water treatment plant. The Department of Community Services, in a statement of claim filed in the Yukon Supreme Court on Nov. 16, alleges that the work done by Wildstone Construction and Engineering Ltd. had a number of "deficiencies," including tanks with "visible leaks and are not watertight." The government is also seeking more than $1 million from Intact Insurance, an insurance company that served as a surety for the construction contract.
