Watching carefully

Diligent sampling and monitoring aimed at keeping water safe

The County’s waterworks chief says he is monitoring the situation carefully, but does not have a concern about Picton’s drinking water supply. This despite an Environment Canada (EC) report issued last month that found runoff from Picton Terminals contained concentrations of chloride, cyanide, aluminum and iron at many times the guideline limits.

Robert McAuley, Commissioner for Engineering, Development and Works, explained to The Times that the Picton water treatment plant mitigates contamination risk with diligent and ongoing sampling and monitoring of the intake water.

McAuley acknowledged, however, that the Picton’s water supply sampling and monitoring program isn’t looking specifically for concentrations of chloride, cyanide, aluminum and iron. But they may begin to do so.

Our current raw water sampling and monitoring program does not sample for these parameters,” said McAuley. “We might consider adding the noted parameters to our raw water monitoring program on a proactive basis; however, we do not have a basis for comparison.”

McAuley noted that much of the salt stored at Picton Terminals is used to de-ice roadways, and that some of that material ends up in our lakes and bays.

“We don’t know of any historical sampling or reporting on these parameters in this area, so we don’t know what Picton Bay’s existing background concentrations in the area of our intake are,” said McAuley. “As well, a number of storm water runoff locations also contribute salt-laden runoff into Picton Bay, so values seen at the Picton waste treatment would not necessarily be able to be correlated directly to activities at Picton Terminals.”

McAuley also draws some comfort from the Source Water Protection Plan prepared in recent years. It looked at the threats to the water supply at all six of the County water intake points. The plan identifies the zone around each intake, from which the water is drawn. It then considers various threats to that water supply.

He notes that the Source Water Protection Plan for the Picton water intake did not identify Picton Terminals as a risk, despite the fact the facility has had a long history of moving and storing road salt at this location.

Nevertheless, McAuley is taking keen interest in the EC findings, their recommendations and follow through.