Water_woes
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Feature Article - November 29, 2007Water Woes Plaque Small Municipalities Thoughout Ontarioby Jeff Green
It is not only in the village of Sydenham that water is a difficult, and expensive, political issue.The intense interest the Province of Ontario has paid to water problems in the wake of the Walkerton tragedy has been felt in many small municipalities, and changes in the Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act have made it possible for certain communities to invest in point of entry systems instead of water treatment plants.
This kind of solution might be considered by communities in Frontenac County, who would likely be facing higher costs for water than the residents of Sydenham Village are facing because no other village in the County has the number and size of institutional users that Sydenham has (Sydenham High School, Loughborough Pubic School, Maple Ridge Apartments, etc.)
However, one tiny Ontario community that looked at a point of entry system found it was more expensive than it appeared.
The Township of North Shore in Huron County has been pre-occupied with water ever since 2001, when the Ministry of the Environment forced them to take over a failing water system and sewage lagoon that serves 21 homes.
The homes had been built by a uranium mining company in the 1950’s. They were sold to the occupants in 1971, and for 30 years the water system was in place without incident. But eventually choloform problems developed and the Ministry of the Environment asked the residents to address the problem. When they could not afford to do so, the township was forced to take over the water system and sewage lagoon.
North Shore Township has been considering three options for cleaning up the water, and at one point they were leaning towards a point of entry system. “In the end there were too many problems, and the expense would have been quite high,” said Heather Pelky, the township’s mayor.
A centralized filtration system was chosen, and even with provincial and federal funding support, it was still going to cost the 21 households $16,000 each for the system, and a whopping $285 per month for the water.
The township was able, however, to get a grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, which would see the upfront costs drop by $13,000, to $3,000.
This would make them the envy of Sydenham Village residents, who are still waiting for water bills that are expected to be in the $10,000 range.
The actual cost per household for North Shore residents could still be much higher, however. “We’re not certain what it will actually cost the homeowners,” said Heather Pelky, “because those initial costs were based on a $2 million estimate of the cost of construction. Now that the tenders are in, the cost is $3 million and we don’t know if all of the government departments involved will come through with the extra money.”
In the Township of North Shore, just as in Frontenac County, there are other small hamlets with water problems, and Heather Pelky sees only one solution: support from the province.
“We’ve been lobbying the province, and we need to join with others as well, to convince them to come up with something that recognises towns with populations of under 1,000 people. These small communities cannot afford the water systems the province wants then to have. They are unsustainable the way things are now.”
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Feature Article - November 22, 2007Sydenham Water: What to do We have to Show for it?byWilma Kenny
Very early in the process of planning the Sydenham water system, the residents expressed concern about the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) which occurs when chlorine interacts with organic matter in water. They were assured that the lake water would be thoroughly filtered to remove organic matter, and there should be no problem. However, a small amount of research confirms that most surface-water systems do experience problems with THM levels, because these water sources are by definition high in organic matter. Although this would suggest that problems could have been predicted, the plant was none the less designed using one of the most commonly available filtration systems.
Because THM levels fluctuate, a reading is not considered definitive until a year has passed, and an average can be taken of 12 months. In spite of this, one cannot help wondering why, if the readings were consistently high from the onset, was there no attempt to improve the filtration until a month ago, almost a year and a half after the plant went into operation? And why was the plant not initially designed with a more effective filtration system?
Last week, residents of Sydenham received a letter and information sheet from Dr Ian Gemmill, Medical Officer of Health, in which he notes that in the summer of 2007, KFL&A Public Health was notified by the Sydenham water treatment plant operating authority that the annual average concentration of THMs in the village water exceeded the Ontario standards, which are .100mg/L. The letter goes on to say that "because the levels have not been significantly elevated over the standard, corrective action was needed as soon as feasible. Since no imminent health risk was posed by consuming water at this level over the short-term, extraordinary emergency measures were not necessary." Dr Gemmill says that Utilities Kingston water treatment specialists are currently working on various methods to decrease the levels of THMs, and he is "confident that the work will be completed very soon.".
Nowhere does Dr Gemmil mention BDCMs, one of the four chemical compounds that are included in THMs. However, an information sheet attached to his letter tells us that Health Canada’s guideline for this particular compound is much lower: .016 mg/L. In 1997, Dodds & King published a study of single births in Nova Scotia between 1988 & 1995 which measured exposure to BCDM through municipal water supplies. It states: "Exposure to BCDM at concentrations of .020mg/L or over was associated with an increased risk of neural tube defects." Neural tube defects occur in the first 3 or 4 weeks of pregnancy, and often lead to spinal bifida or stillbirth. This is certainly not a long-term effect. This may account for Health Canada’s much more stringent guideline in respect to this chemical.
Nowhere does Dr Gemmill suggest there are any short-term adverse effects of THM ingestion. Nor is there any mention of the BDCM level in Sydenham water. It may be adequately low, it could be too high. It just isn’t mentioned.
All three levels of government and the residents of Sydenham have paid millions of dollars for this water system. Are we getting good value for our money?
Sf_council_07-46
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Feature Article - November 22, 2007South Frontenac Council - Nov. 20by Wilma Kenny
Official Plan Review: Olivia Groenewegen addressed council on behalf of the Concerned Farmers of the Future. In reference to the Official Plan Review, she noted the township’s stated commitment to "enhance and improve the rural character of the township," and expressed her group’s concerns about loss of farmland, threats to groundwater, and increased traffic that come with development and declining farm sustainability. She suggested some potential solutions: control of strip development and infilling of lots on private lanes, in order to preserve farmland and reduce the risk of groundwater depletion, and greater awareness and support in general of agriculture. Quoting the Official Plan’s commitment to "making this an outstanding rural community capable of sustaining itself for future generations," she summarized: "Agriculture is the key component to sustaining an entire community."
An open house for residents to learn more about the 2007 Official Plan Review will be held Tuesday November 27, 2-4 & 7-9 at the Sydenham township hall.
Western Cataraqui Region Groundwater Survey
Council passed a motion receiving the survey report, agreed to support the creation of a groundwater protection and implementation committee, and agreed to consider the recommendations of the study when doing future updates of the Township’s plan and zoning by-laws.
Sydenham Water Bills
Township treasurer Deb Bracken reported, "The process that needs to be completed before the bills can be calculated and mailed for the Sydenham Waterworks has been long and frustrating for all parties."
The final claim to OSTAR could not be submitted until all contract holdbacks had been released, and the ‘growth related cost" recalculated, as neither federal nor provincial governments will pay subsidy on the growth component. The final claim was submitted October 15, but the project analyst estimates that clearance from the prov/fed governments won’t be given for at least eight weeks. Following this, the water by-law will need to be updated to accommodate any adjustments to the growth component and billing schedule.
Councillor McPhail commented that he felt there must be political input before the bylaw is revised, and CAO Burns assured him it would come before a Committee of the Whole for discussion. Burns did not expect there to be much change from the original by-law.
So, no capital cost water bills for Sydenham residents before Christmas, but some time in early 2008...
Letters_07-46
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Letters - November 22, 2007Letters
November1Sydenham Water Problem Continues, Bob ForbesOperation Christmas Child, Mary HowesSydenham Water Problem ContinuesOur local newspapers have done an excellent job of reporting the current problem of high levels of THMs (trihalomethanes) in the treated water from the controversial water plant in Sydenham. Both CAO Burns and a spokesperson from the MOE were reported as saying that the THM problem is associated with low water usage by the hamlet. This raises a number of questions that should be of concern to the residents of Sydenham.
If the organic matter in the lake water were removed effectively during the treatment process, then THM’s would not be forming regardless of how much water is or is not being used. So why not solve the problem at the source – in the water plant?
Is it reasonable to expect residents to use more water that doesn’t meet provincial standards as a means to compensate for an ineffective water treatment process?
Considering that 92% of the people lobbied against this water plant, is it reasonable to expect them now to be enthusiastic about using more water?
We paid almost $8 million, and continue to pay monthly costs, for a water plant that still can’t produce water that meets provincial standards. Who is being held accountable for this? Didn’t the consulting engineers design the plant for the quality of the lake water and its seasonal variations? What has gone so wrong? Has South Frontenac Township investigated this, and if so why haven’t they told the people? Surely the people of Sydenham will not have to pay additional costs to correct a brand new system.
Finally, after 16 months, the press informed the people of the THM problem, not the township. Lack of communication from the township seems to be an ongoing issue with this water system. Will our community have to continue to rely on the papers quoting Utilities Kingston or the Health Unit or the MOE to be informed about the quality of our water?
It now appears that the current THM problem is not a major crisis, but considering the consistent way issues with the water plant have been handled, we may still have one in our administration.
Bob Forbes, Sydenham
Operation Christmas ChildI wish to commend the staff of St. James Catholic School for involving their students in Operation Christmas Child. It is encouraging to know that one board is concerned that their students are involved with children in other parts of the world who are less fortunate than they are.
I was pleased to see the photograph on the front page of the News. Please give us more coverage of items concerning our young people on your front page.
I only saw one small picture of the Joe Goodfellow Run, which involved several hundred students from 14 schools.
Mary Howes
Editorial_07-44
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Editorial - November 8, 2007Sydenham Water Woesby Jeff Green
There is no reason to jump to Walkerton-style conclusions about the danger posed by triahlomethane (THM's) in the water that has been flowing out of the Sydenham water plant for 12 of the past 15 months. THM is not e-coli, but they are compounds that have been identified as a negative byproduct of chlorination and steps are generally taken to minimise their concentration in drinking water.
They have been associated with increased cancer rates over very long-term use, and with low birth weight when ingested by pregnant women. There is no evidence that anyone from Sydenham has suffered harm as the result of THM in Sydenham water, but they are something that is tested for, and the results of testing normally leads to responses by government agencies, be it the Ministry of the Environment, the Health Unit, the people who designed and manage the system, and the municipality.
Without laying blame at any one agency’s feet, it looks like it has taken too long to deal with an identified problem in this case, and now that this has come to public attention, the authorities should at least keep everyone informed about this matter from now on.
In terms of the Sydenham water itself, it’s fair to say that no publicity can be good publicity.
Sydenham water has been about the most contentious issue in the 10-year history of South Frontenac Township, and the ill will towards the township council from many residents of the village lingers. This is evidenced by the fact that only 40% of households have actually hooked up to the system, even though they are paying a monthly water bill.
The township has not even asked Sydenham residents to pay for the cost of building the plant yet, and this latest controversy will not make people any happier to receive those bills, which will be between $5,000 and $10,000, depending on the size of people’s homes.
To be fair to the series of South Frontenac councils that were involved in the decision to build a water treatment plant in Sydenham, it was done in the context of provincial regulations and monetary incentives that were pushing a treatment plant in a big way. Indeed, a succession of councilors saw the water system as the only way to proceed, even with persistent local opposition from the people who are now going to pay for it.
There are water problems in other communities in South and Central Frontenac. Verona and Harrowsmith have water issues, and in the water problems in Sharbot Lake are well known. But provincial thinking about small water systems is changing.
In the recent County of Frontenac newsletter, small water systems are discussed, and the section concludes by saying, “of particular interest is the change in operational requirements. The Ministry of the Environment will now allow point-of-entry treatment to be used as an alternative to centralized treatment and distribution of water.”
This may be good news to residents in communities that will be facing water issues in the future, but for Sydenham residents, who will be receiving whopping water bills sometime soon - who are already paying $40 for water they are not using and are not now convinced is safe, it is cold comfort.
Sf_council_07-44
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Feature Article - November 8, 2007South Frontenac Councilby Wilma Kenny
Rob McRae of the Cataraqui Regional Conservation Authority presented council with an outline of a new provincially funded program directed at protecting drinking water sources. The Sydenham water system, which draws from Sydenham Lake, is one of the most vulnerable areas in the Cataraqui region, so it will be the area the study will focus on. Although the program will run for four years, one of the early portions will involve residents within a 200 meter radius of the water intake. They will be encouraged to close unused wells, upgrade outdated septic systems and undertake runoff and erosion protection with partial financial assistance from the CRCA. Further information about the program will be provided to local property owners in early December.
Brett Dark spoke as a representative of Fourteen Island and Mink Lake Association about the Lake Stewardship plan being undertaken by the property owners of the Meredith Subdivision area. This is a community effort aimed at maintained or improving their lakes and the surrounding watersheds. Presently local volunteers are collecting data: they plan to produce a ‘state of the lake’ report in Spring 2008. Following that, they will confirm issues and identify actions needed. The final plan will be in place in the summer of 2009.
Dale and Kris Bowes have submitted an application for a zoning by-law amendment to allow them to replace an existing cottage with a new dwelling with an attached garage. The lot is slightly over acre, with 165 feet of frontage on Knowlton Lake, which is classified as a highly sensitive lake trout lake. One corner of the proposed structure would encroach into the 30 meter setback by 5.3 meters. Council complied with the CRCA’s request that a decision be deferred until the exact location of the septic tank could be determined, in the hope that a longer set-back might be achieved. Three neighbours objected to the development of permanent residence on the lot, citing concerns about the increased use of the road, and possible negative effects on the lake and neighbouring cottage community.
Patty Lumb has resigned from the committee of adjustment as she’s moving away. Council made a motion to thank her for her work on the committee, and another to appoint Len McCullough to replace her.
The Sydenham Santa Claus parade will be Saturday Nov 24, beginning at 10am from the Sydenham fire hall. It's sponsored by the Loughborough Firefighters Association, and the contact person is to be Troy Emery, president of the LFA. He can be contacted through the township.
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Feature Article - November 1, 20072007 Sydenham 8 km Raceby Derek Spafford
Registration continues to grow each year with 167 runners and walkers signed up to race. The quality of competition was certainly very high too, as shown by the fast times recorded. This beautiful 8km course runs along the north shore of Sydenham Lake with 75% of the race on the Cataraqui Trail.
Taylor Murphy, originally from Napanee but currently residing in Guelph, won the men’s race in a very quick 25:08. Taylor is sponsored by Saucony and competes for the Speed River Club. He has also represented Canada at international competitions. Paul Chafe was second in the men’s race in a time of 25:57. Paul is originally from Sydenham and was a bronze medalist in the 2005 CIS Canadian Cross Country Championships. Third place went to marathoner Kevin Beatty in a time of 26:29.
The women’s race also had some very strong performances. Kim Bowerman, also from Guelph, won the women’s race in a very solid 33:05. Second place went to C.J. Best in 33:39, followed by Deborah Berry in 35:14. Our top male masters runner (40+) was Colin Wilkinson in 29:30, while Joyce Acton won the women’s masters competition in 39:07.
The first place male and female each picked up $100 cash for their race wins. Second and third place overall were each awarded merchandise awards from our sponsors. The top male and female masters competitors also won merchandise awards.
A huge thank you to all our wonderful sponsors and a very special thank you to all the volunteers who helped out to make this such a great day.
Proceeds from the Sydenham Fall 8km will benefit the Parr Christie Singers.
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Feature Article - January 31, 2008 Calling SHS teens who like to read By Wilma Kenny
The
photo shows (LtoR seated) Jessica Warmington, Alexandra Sproule,
Jordan Dickson. Kimberly Sutherland Mills is standing.
Last week, the Sydenham Library held its first Teen Advisory Group (TAG) meeting. What is TAG and what does it do? It’s one of Kingston Frontenac Public Library’s volunteer groups, made up of teens between 12 and 18 who have library cards. The group meets monthly with teen librarian Kimberly Sutherland Mills to help the library in a variety of ways. They may recommend books, CDs, DVDs, and magazines for the library to purchase, help plan a special space for teens in the library, and suggest and organize teen programs. (The Kingston TAG groups created a float for the Santa Claus parade, to help promote the library.) They use the library’s teen website to list and review books, CDs and DVDs, and to chat with each other about them.
It’s a win-win, for in the process of helping the library become more ‘teen-friendly’, TAG members gain leadership and teamwork skills, make new friends and earn community service hour credits for attendance and participation. The group has a modest budget to be used as they see fit: e.g. snacks and supplies. (Members are expected, when they join, to make a commitment for the school year: meetings are usually held once a month.)
Sydenham library is the first branch outside Kingston to be chosen for a TAG group, and it was picked on the basis of the number of teens already using the library, as well as the convenience of the after-hours buses.
The next Sydenham TAG meeting will be Thursday, February 21 at 3PM. Snacks will be provided. For further info, check out the volunteer section of the KFPL website or e-mail Kimberley: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Feature Article - January 10, 2008 Former Sydenham High Teacher Charged with Sexual Assault on TeensOn January 7, 2008, the Frontenac OPP Crime Unit arrested and charged a Harrowsmith man, alleging that he had committed sexual assaults that between August and December 2006 in South Frontenac, according to a media release from the OPP.
Mr. Brian Jones, a former technology teacher at Sydenham High School, was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and sexual exploitation against three teenage girls, as well as obstruction of justice, contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada.
According to a media release from the Limestone District School Board, Jones commenced his employment with the board on February 7, 2005, and was in the classroom at Sydenham High School until December 11, 2006. After conducting their own investigation, Mr. Jones’ employment was formally terminated by the Limestone board in April 2007.
In November 2007, the OPP began to investigate a former Sydenham High School teacher for complaints of sexual assault against three teenage girls.
According to Kristine Rae, an OPP communication officer, the investigation was initiated in November when “a complainant came forward.”
As a result of the investigation, the 40 year-old man has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault, sexual exploitation and obstructing justice.
Brian Jones was arrested at Toronto’s Pearson Airport on January 7th after a return flight, and was the subject of a bail hearing in Kingston on Tuesday, January 8th.
The school board media release said that Anne Otonicar, the Principal at Sydenham High School “has informed staff and students, and sent information home for parents on Tuesday. A support team is in place to assist any staff and students.”
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Letters - February 14, 2008 Sydenham Minor Softball:Norm Irwin Steps up to the Plate By Wilma KennyWe have the parks, the ballfields, the equipment, the coaches and the players, but Sydenham Minor Softball is coming dangerously close to closing down this year, for lack of some volunteers willing to put in a few hours work in late March and early April. It’s the same old story: for years, the same group of folks have turned out every spring to register players, haul equipment out of storage and set up the season’s teams and schedules. Over the years, they’ve streamlined the jobs: forms and programs have been set up to deal with the paperwork, and because registration fees cover expenses, there are no more fundraising chores. But even the most dedicated volunteer looks forward to a change now and then.
That’s what’s happened with Sydenham Minor Softball: a recent poster announced that without a new president, treasurer, equipment manager and a few assistants, there would be no baseball in Sydenham for the 135 players whose teams competed with all the neighbouring villages last summer. "I couldn’t let it go by like that," says Norm Irwin, who has agreed to chair the volunteer committee. "Baseball’s a great game: it develops hand/eye coordination, teaches strategy and teamwork, and is just plain fun. Kids don’t get to play it at school any more: the summer program’s their only chance."
Norm has someone lined up to manage the equipment, but still needs volunteers to help with registration, basic bookkeeping and scheduling. It’s not a summer-long commitment: most of the work is done in late March and early April. Information is prepared and sent out to the schools and posted in the village. Registration takes up one Wednesday evening and one Saturday. Once registration is complete, the summer’s schedules are drawn up, and the coaches take it from there. End-of-season wrap-up takes even less time. As mentioned, there’s no fund-raising grind. The more volunteers Norm gets, the less work for everyone. This would be a good opportunity for a high school student to clock up some volunteer hours.
Why do you live in or near Sydenham? The township water system? Perhaps. Or maybe you’re attracted to the idea of being part of a small community, somewhere you can get to know the folks in the stores and along the street. But if you work in Kingston, it’s not always easy to find a way to fit in. Volunteering is a great way to get to know your neighbours. You don’t have to be a ballplayer or have one in the family to lend a hand here, though it does help if you would like to see Sydenham continue to be a place where there’s a variety of things for kids to do in the summer.
For more information, call Norm Irwin: 613-376-6558.
