National media listens when OWWA speaks

Photo report by Tom Davey

The Hon. Elizabeth Witmer

Reporters from radio, TV and national newspapers crowded around speakers following the opening session of the 2001 Ontario Water Works Association/Ontario Municipal Water Association annual conference in Toronto, May 7-9. Hershel Guttman, P.Eng., a Director of R.V. Anderson Associates, a past OWWA Chair and AWWA Director, gave the keynote address, Drinking Water in the Post Walkerton Era. Later he fielded questions from a bevy of reporters on the implications of the Cryptosporidium outbreak in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, and, of course, the Walkerton E.coli issues. The interviews were broadcast on CBC Radio and covered in the Globe & Mail, and other newspapers.

The Canadian Environmental Law Association's Paul Muldoon also fielded reporters' questions on jurisdictional legalities of drinking water issues, after he had reviewed current policies and legislative issues with CELA's proposals for reform.

Hershel later appeared on a Global TV program with Toronto Councillor Jack Layton and Andre Proulx, P.Eng., Delcan's Ottawa Division Manager. The two engineers presented epidemiological and historical data which dispelled many of the media's misconceptions on drinking water. On the final day of the conference, Hershel was interviewed live on eight radio stations across Canada ­ as far afield as Vancouver and Prince George, BC.

Dr. Andrew Benedek receives the Fuller Award from AWWA Vice President Kathryn McCain.	Hershel Guttman, keynote speaker, with Rod Holme, an AWWA Past President. Rod also serves on ES&E's Technical Advisory Board.

The highly successful Young Professionals Reception (left to right): Quirien Muylwyk, CH2M Hill Canada; Kathryn McCain, AWWA Vice President; Sandra Latorre, University of Toronto (XCG); Laurie Ford, R.V. Anderson Associates.

Ironically, it was barely 12 months earlier that the lethal E. coli 0157.H7 had killed some six people, hospitalized hundreds and cost countless millions of dollars in compensation and legal enquiries. Now a parasite had been added as a threat to drinking water. Reporters were told, in no uncertain terms, that low water rates had been a major factor in our deteriorating environmental infrastructure. At long last, the news media were going to the real experts for information when complex issues of public health and water quality were being debated.

Dr. Andrew Benedek, who had been presented with The Fuller Award, the AWWA Section's premier honour, appeared in a lengthy interview on CBC News World, where he related various capabilities of membrane technologies for the removal of bacteria and viruses, as well as parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia. After decades of media neglect on drinking water issues, this copious media coverage now made the role and relevance of environmental engineers, chemists and operators, highly visible.

The AWWA's prestigious Howard Award went to Geoff Jenkins.

Ontario Environment Minister, Elizabeth Witmer, talked about her government's commitment to safe drinking water. "You have shown great foresight by making consumer confidence your conference theme. This is an issue that cuts to the very core of the drinking water issue. People need to know that the water they drink is safe and protected," she said.

She said the recent Cryptosporidium events in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, are a reminder of the continuing fear and uncertainty in many rural communities. "Clean, safe drinking water is non-negotiable. All residents must be able to count on their drinking water, at all times, anywhere in the province. In fact, Ontario's mandatory quarterly reporting for water suppliers is a very effective system and, overall, more stringent than the US EPA requirements.

"But the United States has moved forward with an initiative that I believe deserves our consideration. In October 1999, the United States introduced mandatory annual Consumer Confidence Reports for all water suppliers. Here in Ontario, our tough existing regulations do require operators to make quarterly reports available to the public. But through consumer confidence reports, US water suppliers now must make a "good faith effort" to reach their consumers, whether it's through advertising, mailouts or posting results on web sites.

"I believe that making an effort to reach consumers is consistent with your conference theme of Consumer Confidence, and it fits very well with our government's vision of greater, broader accountability. I look forward to hearing your thoughts as we explore this initiative," the Minister said.

One delightful addition to this year's conference was the Young Professionals Reception where recently graduated engineers, at the start of their promising careers, could meet and mingle with older people in water engineering. Any lingering suspicion that water treatment is a male dominated profession was to be quickly dispelled at this meeting. AWWA Vice President, Kathryn McCain, displayed boundless enthusiasm and energy at this conference where many learned papers were presented by young women engineers who spoke with poise and authority on complex issues.

See our home page on how to order your subscription. We regret we can only accept orders from Canada and the United States.