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MEMORIAL PRESENTSTHE 39TH IN A SERIES DEVELOPED FROM PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES SPONSORED BY THE LESLIE HARRIS CENTRE OF REGIONAL POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT.

T R O U B L E D W A T E R S ?

THE STATE OF DRINKING WATERIN RURAL NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

BY SARAH MINNES

W hen I think of beautiful rural Newfoundland and Labrador, I think of an abundance of water. So many small

towns surrounded by ocean, and nestled within ponds and river systems. But, is this water fit to drink? In late February 2013, this, among other research questions, was posed by the research project Exploring Solutions for Sustainable Rural Drinking Water Systems.1

The project aimed to understand the concerns and successes related to drinking water systems in this province, as well as profile communities taking innovative steps to ensure the safety of their drinking water supplies. The study focused on the approximately 374 communities in NL with 1,000 or less residents, with a further focus on communities with public water systems. The project also explored appropriate solutions to identified challenges. The scope of this comprehensive project included every part of the “drinking water system,” incorporating the quality and quantity of the source water available, drinking water infrastructure and its operations, public perceptions and use of drinking water, and the policies and governance surrounding drinking water systems.

A collaborative effort between Memorial University faculty and students, Municipalities NL, and the provincial association of Professional Municipal Administrators, the research team included faculty expertise from a wide range of disciplines (e.g., environmental science, environmental policy, medicine, and engineering) as well an advisory committee made up of federal, provincial, and local government, and non-governmental actors with water-related responsibilities. A key part of this project was consulting with individuals making decisions and managing water systems at the local level.

Challenges and concernsThe state of drinking water systems in rural NL is very dependent on where you live and whom you talk to. For example, in surveys and consultations with elected municipal officials, many municipalities reported high drinking water quality. However, considerable concerns for drinking water systems in rural NL were brought to the research team’s attention through consultations with municipalities, policy workshops with experts in the field, provincial data, community case studies,

Drinking water in rural Newfoundland and Labrador varies in quality and quantity. Overall, changes are needed in policy, planning, governance, and management of drinking water systems, particularly in communities of 1,000 or less, to ensure access to safe and reliable drinking water for current and future generations.

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and two surveys (one directed towards community administrators and one for water operators). The most common concern vocalized by communities of 1,000 residents or less was aging and degrading infrastructure. For instance, on a survey given to community administrators, 59 per cent of local service district administrators and 44 per cent of administrators from these smaller municipalities indicated a “lack of funds to make necessary repairs or upgrades” as a challenge facing their drinking water system.

In regards to health risks, consultations revealed that some communities were concerned about high levels of disinfectant by-products in their drinking water. Disinfectant by-products, such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) are formed when chlorine used for disinfection reacts with natural organic matter (e.g., decaying leaves and vegetation) in the water. Some disinfectant by-products have been linked to possible health effects related to cancer and reproductive effects in scientific studies, however the evidence is not conclusive, especially from epidemiological studies. The province uses the maximum acceptable concentration as per the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, which are based on lifetime exposure. In 2013-14, there were 270 reported cases of higher than acceptable levels of disinfectant by-products in drinking water samples from this province.

The prevalence of long-term boil water advisories

Why is there chlorine in drinking water?The source water that supplies drinking water systems, especially surface water, contains microbiological organisms that can be very harmful to humans. In the 1900s the introduction of disinfectant into water systems led to a dramatic decrease in illnesses and fatalities caused by waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera and dysentery. As seen in Walkerton, Ontario, in 2000, pathogens such as strains of e-coli are an immediate public health risk that can result in severe illness and even death. Chlorination is the most common disinfectant used in Canada. Efforts to reduce potential health risks from disinfectant by-products must not compromise disinfection that is used for pathogen control.

Greenspond, courtesy of Jen Daniels

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(lasting for more than one year) is also an issue in the province (see map above), with some advisories being continually extended for more than two decades. A recent review of the data on boil water advisories revealed things have not changed that much from November 2014. There are still six communities (and eight systems as some communities have more than one system) that have been on a boil water advisory since the 1980s, 34 additional communities (36 systems) that have been on a boil water advisory since the 1990s, and a total of 216 active boil water advisories in the province.2 Though a boil water advisory could indicate maintenance is occurring and the town is doing its job in putting on a precautionary advisory, chronic and long-term boil water advisories are a concern. Long-term boil water advisories were predominantly found in communities with 1,000 residents or less, resulting in compromised access to safe, clean drinking water. Case studies and consultations further suggest that boil water advisories and disinfectant by-product concerns, along with distaste for chlorinated and/or discoloured drinking water, encourages some residents to turn to untreated water sources such as roadside springs. This puts them at risk of getting ill from their drinking water. There is a clear need for more education for the public

regarding the necessity of drinking treated water. Many communities of 1,000 or less face challenges

in managing and operating their drinking water systems, including a lack of finances to pay certified operators, and no one willing to volunteer to operate the drinking water distribution systems. The inability to find, train and retain certified water operators in small communities threatens the safe operation of drinking water systems, as well as the condition of the infrastructure, due to want of needed maintenance being performed. We found that many rural NL communities did not have organized leak detection programs or access to all water-related blueprints and as-builts (the revised set of drawings submitted by a contractor upon completion of a project or a particular job), especially in communities with uncertified water operators. However, it should be noted the Province’s Department of Environment and Conservation attempts to combat the issue of uncertified operators with their mobile training unit that comes right to communities to train operators.

Source water protection is an essential component of a holistic approach to drinking water management, reducing costs of treatment and enhancing drinking water safety. Limited implementation of source water protection measures was found in rural NL, mainly due

NL communities on boil water advisories longer than a year; map courtesy of Myron King, Environmental Policy Institute, from the Provincial Department of Environment and Conservation

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to either an absence of recognition of its importance at the local level or a need of people available to monitor source water supplies. Furthermore, it was found that water conservation or methods to accurately account for and charge for water services (e.g., residential water metering) are quite rare in rural NL, even in communities suffering from water shortage issues. Ultimately, a better understanding of the importance of source water protection as well as water conservation can provide many social, environmental, and economic benefits for rural NL communities.

For many of these small communities, implementing mandated drinking water responsibilities is virtually impossible with existing human and financial resources. Issues of dwindling human resources were also found at the provincial level, constraining the level of support available for small communities.

Successes and solutionsThis research has just scratched the surface of what we know about concerns, successes, and solutions for drinking water systems in rural NL. For example, issues with private well supplies have not even been covered in the Exploring Solutions for Sustainable Rural Drinking Water Systems project research thus far. In April 2015, a woman from Corner Brook became sick due to giardia after collecting water from a roadside spring. Clearly, the message about the dangers of drinking untreated water is not being heard, even in larger municipalities. We certainly know as a research team that our work is not done, but has just begun.

So is it all doom and gloom for rural NL drinking water systems? Of course not. In the most recent 2015 Provincial Budget announcement, there were commitments to reduce boil water advisories and to create pilot programs for regional water and wastewater operators. The project team members from Municipalities NL have also been working with their members on ways to improve drinking water safety. In particular, Municipalities NL has committed to: (1) help calculate appropriate water/sewer rates; (2) provide digital mapping of water infrastructure as a membership service; (3) assist with source water protection efforts; (4) advocate/provide more regional opportunities for education and cooperation; and (5) hire a water liaison. The research team members at Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Grenfell Campus are also moving forward on further

research projects and water related partnerships in this province and nationally. Student research will also play an important role in coming up with interdisciplinary solutions to identified challenges.

Actors at the local level also have important steps ahead of them for improving the safety and sustainability of drinking water systems. Measures that the project team identified as first steps include: (1) re-evaluating water and sewer taxes; (2) digitizing as-builts and maps of infrastructure; (3) devising a source water monitoring program; (4) exploring options to retain a certified water operator; and (5) exploring regional service sharing options.

The report also includes long-term goals such as better integration of water managers and decision makers through drinking water and regional watershed based source water protection committees. It is also recommended that special attention be paid to both addressing long-term boil water advisories and supporting communities that exceed the Health Canada guidelines for safe levels of disinfectant by-products. Furthermore, conservation efforts, proper tracking of leaks in distribution infrastructure and other ways to improve the maintenance and lifespan of water infrastructure should not be overlooked as important actions for achieving sustainable rural drinking water systems.

At the beginning of this article I asked a question: Is the water in Newfoundland and Labrador fit to drink?

“Because you have some towns that legitimately cannot afford it but they’re doing their best, and you have other towns that are, if you’re only charging five bucks a month for water then you know, I don’t want to say I don’t have any sympathy for you but you’re probably paying 30 dollars a month for a cell phone bill or something or 100 dollars a month for cable”

—Research participant

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Well, that depends. Yes, unless it is in a town that’s on a boil water advisory. However, the better question is, is it sustainable? The future of rural NL’s drinking water systems relies on decisions made today. The fact is that it is expensive to distribute clean drinking water, especially in rural NL, with many small, spread out communities, often with declining populations and limited tax bases. Many of the recommendations outlined in the final report of this research will require more funding for drinking water related solutions. Where this funding can and should come from is a topic that requires further dialogue and critical examination. An emphasis should be placed on investing money strategically and efficiently, with the utilization of regional approaches, long-term planning and maintenance programs, and charging a fair and

equitable rate for water. We all must play our part in solutions as a shared venture amongst local, provincial, and federal governments, together with academia, non-government organizations, industry, and citizens.

Sarah Minnes is a PhD Student, and Interdisciplinary Program and Project Coordinator at the Environmental Policy Institute of Memorial University.

The final report for this research can be found at: http://www.mun.ca/harriscentre/Rural_Water_Report.pdf. For access to other project presentations and final reports please visit our website: http://nlwater.ruralresilience.ca.

1 Funding support for this research was generously provided by The Harris Centre’s RBC Water Research and Outreach Fund, as well as by the Mitacs Accelerate internship program.

2 Data on boil water advisories accessed on May 7, 2015 from http://maps.gov.nl.ca/water/.