Clean water can mean the difference between life and death, health and disease, said Nickel District Conservation Authority (NDCA) officials and Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci.
“Water that's clean, plentiful and protected is the foundation for building strong, successful communities like ours,” said Bartolucci, standing beside Ramsey Lake in front of the water treatment plant.
He announced $275,473 in provincial funding for the NDCA to continue its data collection and public engagement efforts regarding protecting the city's drinking water sources.
Since 2005, the Ontario Ministries of Environment and Natural Resources have provided funding to assist conservation authorities in support of drinking water source protection as part of the province's policy to fully implement their Clean Water Act.
“Human health and wellness is dependent on clean water,” said NDCA chair Bob Rogers. “Without water there is death. Without uncontaminated water there is disease."
Rogers said that a major consequence of the aftermath of the Walkerton tragedy was
the determination by government officials and politicians to ensure each community had a plan to safeguard local water supplies.
“We have to make sure the Walkerton tragedy does not occur again.”
Rogers said that the outcome of the NDCA's work on source water protection will be a local plan to be completed by 2012.
“Once this plan is in place it will even affect Greater Sudbury's planning department recommendations on developments where access to sufficient safe drinking water may be an issue.”
In the meantime, signage has been placed beside local water bodies to alert the public about the importance of preserving water quality.
Two outreach events for the public, one on Lake Ramsey and another at a municipal well system in the Valley, were organized in June attended by 80 people.
Water quality data has also been compiled and water budgets for area localities worked on. A terms of reference for the initiative has been completed, and a multi-stakeholder committee set up to supervise the effort.
For more information, phone 674-5249 or visit www.nickeldistrict.ca.
