Last week the drinking water problems in the Preston area were clearly outlined in two reports at HEMDCC, one from staff and another from consultants. Significant public investment will be required if drinking water in the area is to meet safety standars.
Cllr. Hendsbee has discussed the issue of potable water need in his rural districts and the Preston Area Watershed Study Final Report is a result of his persistence.
Although Preston is in the title of the study the area under review extends as far south as Lawrencetown; areas where there are property owners seeking to develop new housing.
The staff report states " The Consultants have undertaken three community forums at the beginning, middle and the end of the study, to engage members of the four communities within the Preston area. The purpose of the engagement was to inform residents of the study and to solicit feedback into its development and results.
Approximately 30 households, distributed across the study area, permitted the sampling of groundwater from their wells; occupants received additional materials from the consultants regarding the results of well water analysis and associated information resources. "
The executive summary of the consultants report lays out the problems of water quality in the area :
" Surface water quality in the Salmon River watershed displays limited influence from urban development, while the Partridge River watershed is rich in nutrients. The upstream portion of the Partridge River watershed contains the North Preston Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) which treats waste water (sewage) from North Preston and discharges the treated effluent to Winder (Whynder) Lake. The discharge to Winder (Whynder) Lake is very high in nutrients, such as nitrate and phosphorus, which promotes growth of algae in Winder (Whynder) Lake. High concentrations of nutrients and excessive algae growth can deplete the oxygen in the lake, making it difficult for
other lake organisms to survive, such as fish. This process of high nutrient inputs resulting in a reduction of the available oxygen is called eutrophication. Winder (Whynder) Lake is an example of a lake that has under eutrophication from discharge of the WWTP. The results of this study suggest the lakes downstream of Winder (Whynder) Lake, such as Eagle Lake and Frog Lake, also have high nutrient concentrations and are at risk of deteriorating water quality including eutrophication.
Follow up water quality monitoring is recommended for Long Lake, Lake Major, Eagle Lake, Frog Lake and Winder (Whynder) Lake, with a priority focus on the Eagle Lake and Frog Lake. "
and then describes possible health risks from contaminated groundwater :
" Groundwater is utilized for potable water in portions of the study area. Groundwater quality and quantity issues in the study area were addressed using historical data and the results of a residential well survey completed as part of this study. The East Preston area, Montague Mines and the Lawrencetown/Mineville communities were grouped together based on similar geography and geology conditions. Each community has specific groundwater issues with Coliform bacteria being the primary issue of concern in East Preston, arsenic in the Montague Mines area and arsenic and groundwater quantity concerns in the Lawrencetown/Mineville area. Not all residences utilize water treatment systems and the proportion of people using water treatment systems is variable between the communities.
However, approximately 50% of residences surveyed in each community are at risk of consuming untreated water that may pose a health risk. "
http://www.halifax.ca/Commcoun/east/...esentation.pdf
http://www.halifax.ca/Commcoun/east/...1412041312.pdf
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