Environmental Science & Engineering - www.esemag.com - June 2003
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Hamilton waterworks conference breaks all attendance records

Three AWWA Presidents in attendance: Rod Holme, Earth Tech Canada, Marley Price (now 2003-2004 AWWA President) and Steve Bonk, the 6th Canadian AWWA President.

While SARS, and other international tensions caused a deep downturn in tourism and other economic activities, the 84th OWWA/ OMWA/OWWEA1 conference drew some 1,000 attendees with over 120 exhibition booths. This was a record number for an organization which can trace its origins to a meeting in St. Louis in 1871.

The sheer range of this show in Hamilton, Ontario, was a challenge for the organizers. The meeting was opened by OWWA Chair Tim Lotimer and OMWA Chair Susan Crosby.

Following the opening ceremonies, the AWWA’s Award of Merit was presented to Justice Dennis R. O’Connor, in recognition of his work in handling the Walkerton Inquiry. Last year Tom Davey was the first Canadian to win this award. Senator Tom Daschle, then Majority House Leader of the US Senate, won this award three years ago so it is a worthy international recognition for Justice O’Connor. The fact that the AWWA, the world’s largest and oldest international organization devoted to drinking water protection, honoured Justice O’Connor, is a tribute to his in-depth research and understanding of the many complex legal realities of the incident and the suffering of the people involved in the tragedy.

Doug Barnes, Assistant Deputy Minister, Integrated Environmental Planning Division, Ministry of the Environment, spoke to a packed hall on the “multi-barrier approach”, an approach that identifies what’s needed to reduce risks to public health at every stage of the system, from source to tap.

“There are three major components in the source to tap approach, source water protection, drinking water treatment and distribution systems. Source protection is particularly important for small systems and private supplies that rely on water from wells. Protection of their groundwater sources is the only barrier in their drinking water systems.

“Source water protection means: Preventing contamination and reducing the need for treatment, taking positive steps to manage potential sources of contaminants and engaging in longterm planning with respect to protecting our drinking water sources for the future,” he said.

He noted that, in recent weeks, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment had announced a six-months moratorium on permits to take water for uses where the water leaves the watershed on the Niagara Escarpment and the Oak Ridges Moraine. The MOE had also proposed improvements to the Water Taking and Transfer Regulation to ensure that Ontario continues to have tough environmental protection through its permitting process and tougher rules for water well construction and decommissioning, and higher performance standards for well technicians. The amendments to the Wells Regulation (O.Reg. 903) will make Ontario a leading jurisdiction in North America for well construction, he stressed. It includes $600,000 in new funding for Sir Sandford Fleming College to support training costs for those who construct wells.

He moved on to the Nutrient Management Act and Ontario’s ongoing groundwater studies.

1 Ontario Water Works Association/Ontario Municipal Water Association/Ontario Water Works Equipment Association.

Abridged

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