Councillors here have joined growing ranks of Ontario municipalities that support Wellington North Township in its bid to have a review of lead sampling in water supplies.
The original resolution noted that in June 2007, the Ministry of Environment released new regulations for the number of annual lead samples to be taken for drinking water systems.
Wellington North believes that under these regulations, the number of annual samples required has increased substantially, depending on the population served by a municipality’s water system. The increased labour and costs would have to be covered through increased water rates.
It acted because the number of samples required is not proportionate when comparing small drinking water systems to large ones in municipalities with populations of 100,000 or more.
Further due to amalgamations, many small municipalities are responsible for several small drinking water systems that are separate and located in a small geographic area. Wellington North wants the Ministry of the Environment to reduce the lead sampling requirements for small systems proportionately to the number of samples required for larger municipalities.
Although not against the idea of sampling, councillors there want to be able to consolidate those small water systems for the purposes of identifying the total population served, and perform the sampling proportionately, based on the total population served, instead of gathering the same number of samples for each water system.
In supporting the resolution, Minto also chose to forward the resolution to Perth Wellington MPP John Wilkinson.
However, while Works Superintendent Norm Fisk supports the concept, he is doubtful of the success of the request.
Fisk said regulations require the municipality to begin sampling in December to meet its deadlines.
“But it doesn’t hurt to send a message,” he said.
“What happens if we don’t do it,” asked Deputy Mayor Judy Dirksen.
Fisk responded that because it is a MOE regulation there is not much choice in the matter.
