Syd_water_09-22

Jeff Green | Jun 04, 2009

The Sydenham Water Advisory Committee met May 26 with Cameron Smith of XCG Consultants, to discuss the consultant's findings and recommendations to date.

Following up from the previous meeting, Dave Cook of the KFL&A Health Unit reported that the Limestone Board had filed the report, which the Medical Officer of Health had addressed to the Sydenham schools, about THMs and the possible related concerns. The board representative said it was available to parents upon request.

Smith noted that there was little history of water quality testing of Sydenham Lake. Since January, XCG has been doing extensive testing of both treated and raw water. Lake sampling at various depths and locations in the

eastern end of the lake have shown a "high degree of consistency," in regard to dissolved organics, which would argue against any benefit from relocating the intake to deeper water. The goal is to have treated water from the plant come consistently below government parameters for THMs (trihalomethanes) and HAAs (haloacetic acids), which are based on running averages, and can accommodate occasional spikes.        

Two alternate forms of water treatment are presently being considered: chloramination and improved carbon filtering. Smith emphasized that choosing the best system is neither quick nor easy: "There is rarely something that addresses one issue and doesn't affect anything else." 

Chloramination, the less expensive of the two, and the one presently being considered for recommendation, involves the addition of ammonia immediately after the initial chlorination. Smith also recommends the additional step of UV treatment, if this were the approach taken.

Once a new treatment process is chosen, it will still take a year or more to implement it.  (Council approval, plant redesign, MOE approval, ordering and installation of new equipment, etc, etc.)

The committee agreed that a public information meeting should be held prior to a recommendation going to council: this meeting will be at the township hall Tuesday June 23, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. with a formal presentation by XCG at 7:00 p.m.