Environmental Science & Engineering - www.esemag.com - July 2005
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A blunt and powerful message from Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner

By Tom Davey

Ed Houghton, (r) President, Collingwood Utility Services is congratulated on receiving the OWWA’s George W. Fuller Award from former Fuller Award winner Andrew Benedek, CEO, Zenon Environmental Inc.
John Braam, (left) Manager of Water and Wastewater Services, County of Oxford receives Norman J. Howard Award from OWWA Past- President Brian Jobb.
Franklyn Smith, (left) Region of Waterloo, receives the 2005 Operator’s Meritorius Service Award from AWWA President-elect Andy Richardson.
Full cost accounting of environmental infrastructure projects was among the highlights of an eloquent powerpoint presentation by Environmental Commissioner Gordon Miller at theAnnual Conference of the Ontario Water Works Association and the Ontario Municipal Water Association in Ottawa May 8-11. His credentials include a B.Sc and an M.Sc which gives him expertise in environmental science and engineering which many government appointees lack.

He stressed that governments should anticipate and prevent environmental crises, rather than merely react to them. “The best decisions are made on accurate up-to-date economic and environmental information. We should live off the economic ‘interest’ which the environment provides, not eat into the ‘capital’ of its natural values,” he said. “Sustainability means attitudes and values must change, not just production and consumption.”

Blending economics with his environmental metaphors, he stressed that society was still living off the interest provided by our natural resources– often building way beyond the local water supplies, then trying to solve problems by big engineering projects. We need quality of development over quantity, he stressed, along with a respect for nature and the rights of future generations. These remain great challenges which are not always factored into current decision- making.

“Where does excellence lie?” he enquired. “Does it lie in innovative and advanced treatment technology to protect us from the evils that lurk in our source water and distribution systems?” He then noted that: “Yes, we have developed excellent technology which we must continually develop and pursue; but technology in itself should not be confused with the journey towards environmental excellence.”

Mr. Miller talked on the need to anticipate and prevent environmental problems, calling on increased inspections, Bill 133 and a return to training and inspection. He called for full cost accounting and for a continuation of the moves towards full cost water metering and pricing and also full cost pricing of electricity. “Although there are more data being collected on watershed based source protection programs and more public consultation, there remain problems with the municipal class EA processes. We are still not thinking about the cumulative effects of society’s activities. While the provision of cheap, abundant and clean drinking water is certainly a laudable goal, he wondered if this had served society well. “People now take abundant clean water for granted, they don’t appreciate it, they won’t pay what it is worth, and, finally, they waste it,” he said. The Fuller Award was presented to Ed Houghton, Collingwood Utility Services; the Norman J. Howard Award went to John Braam, County of Oxford, and the Operator’s Meritorius Service Award to Franklyn Smith, Region of Waterloo.

The Ontario Water Works Equipment Association had over 100 exhibitors at the trade show which provided an opportunity to examine equipment first-hand and question exhibitors.

ES&E plans to use some of the conference presentations in subsequent issues.

Tom Davey is Editor of
Environmential Science &
Engineering magazine

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