Dangerous water

Cow manure, geese feces and bird droppings are just three reasons this weekend's Valens beach party may not make much of a splash. The water at the conservation area beach has been marked unsafe due to high E.coli levels, which at last check was about 250 E.coli bacteria per 100ml of water - two and a half times safe swimming levels. Organizers of this weekend's beach party are still expecting upwards of 3,000 people to attend the event. And if the day is as hot as it is expected to be, some may ask themselves whether it is worth the risk. The answer is a firm no, according to Bob Hart, the city's environment health manager, who is recommending that adults, children and pets stay away from the water. What should be done?

Comments

[Ed2]

Goose droppings may be prominent because of their proximity to the beach, but let us not forget what is lurking a few hundred feet away under the surface. It's called 'A Multi-Billion Dollar Cleanup'. Start at the incoming channel under the lift bridge and dredge deep to remove 'ALL POLLUTANTS' once and for all. This partial bandaid attitude is sickening and OHIP will eventually pay out the funds or absorb the costing with increased healthcare costs.

Debates are fine but let us place a BP Camera under Randall Reef and broadcast the daily view of toxic waste. Beside this caption, place a remote camera of City Council on the other side of the screen. Now we can watch in real time on CPAC, or on Cable 14, real government in real circumstances in real action.

[GIVE ME LITERACY]

Of course Mario, he gets to destroy Hamilton if he puts a stadium in the West Harbour. But don't worry... I'm sure he sees the potential for destruction with the East Mountain site as well. Without a doubt, he'll come around eventually and sign the deal as long as it's built out of marble. Cheer up and route for your loser team and loser mayor like an obedient Hamilton pawn.

[Gene Simmons]

@Jordan Retro 3: You obviously haven't met Ian...

[Mario]

Fred is such an idiot! Why is he not budging from the West Harbour site? I believe he's got financial interests there that he can benefit from. Something is there for his benefit. Anyone looking into this?

[jordan retro 3]

No one can degrade us except ourselves; that if we are worthy, no influence can defeat us. What do you think?

[Jaime]

Maybe the geese would like to cull humans from the lake. It's their home, after all. Why should we make animals leave their homes, just so we can go swimming for a few hours? That's ridiculous.

[Jackie]

Why can't we cull Canada Geese or feed them some type of birth control, so there wouldn't be so many of them? Too bad they're protected as they cause problems wherever they are located.

[Tom]

Cull? It should be kill. The world is overpopulated with Canada Geese. If you sappy couch potatoes(who wouldn't know a goose from a Grebe)would stop feeding these damn birds they would fly south the way nature intended. I live on the Grand River -and the stench & dirt of these birds are incredible. They are not only a dangerous problem but almost a pandemic. &

[GIVE ME LIBERTY]

"We also pump chemically altered human waste daily into the lake, the Americans do not do this." I'm referring to pumping human waste into the great lakes, Gene. 13 Canadian municipalities do this and Americans do not. However, yea I am aware of American government and industry's indifference to dumping chemicals into potable water sources. The entire idea of fluoride purposely put in drinking water amazes me. Fluoride is an impure industrial waste product (fluosilicic acid), "scrubbed" from phosphate fertilizer smokestacks. It's expensive to properly dispose of so industry has teamed up with government to convince us that we need to BUY this industrial waste from industry and put it in the water supply. Fluoride is beneficial when it's applied to the teeth TOPICALLY. When ingested it does little for the teeth and can contribute to cancer and unnatural physiological changes in the human body.

[Gene Simmons]

I am inclined to agree with Hamilton34...just because "they" tell us the water is contaminated by bird poop alone and nothing else doesn't mean that's the extent of it...who knows what else is really in any polluted water?

But just the grossness factor alone would be enough to keep me from swimming in it.

[Mandy]

It's sad that municipal government focuses their engery on the small amounts of water that are damaged by natural causes - as opposed to all the environmental damage caused by cars, factories and other polluters.

I can't swim in a public lake today because of geese droppings, so what? Maybe someone should do something to ensure that I can breathe the air tomorrow.

And maybe these geese wouldn't be gathering in small areas if we stopped destroying their homes with malls, factories and parking lots. If you get rid of them from this lake, they will just go somewhere else and "disrupt" someone else's fun weekend of swimming. Because their homes are disappearing, and they have nowhere else to go.

[Hamilton34]

@ Ian,

What do you mean why do people make this a bigger issue?. It is not just a problem of E. Coli. Thats the reason in this story, but I am looking at our lake and water as a whole.

If you misunderstood me than I am sorry, however if you did understand me, that means the water your drinking from Randall reef really is as harmful as they say it is.

[Ian]

Hamilton34,
Read my lips, the strain of ecoli that is keeping the beaches closed is the same strain that is found in geese feces. Soooo, yes it is the only reason it is closed.

I have no idea why people want to make this bigger than what it is.

[Gene Simmons]

@Give Me Liberty: Wait, the Americans DON'T dump chemicals in the water? Ever heard of a movie called "Erin Brockovich?" It's based on a true story...a class action suit was commenced against Pacific Gas & Electric in California by the residents of the town of Hinkley. PG & E was dumping hexavalent chromium into the town's water supply, making the residents very ill with rapidly progressing cancers. A very interesting movie...I've seen it 6 or 7 times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Brockovich

[Hamilton34]

@ Ian,

You been drinking water out of randall reef again?

What I said is it plays a factor. You would have to be daft (such as yourself) to truly believe it is the only reason.

[Ian]

Hamilton34, so are you saying that it is merely a coincidence that the strain of ecoli that is found at valens is exactly the same as found in geese feces, eventhough their are millions of different strains? Hmmm, interesting. I'll have to believe you because you sound like microbiologist.

[give me liberty]

I think that these bacteria counts and risks have always existed. Our knowledge about them is increasing as science progresses. We've also begun to live extremely sterile lives in the 21rst century and these things are more important to us than say, a 1970's farm boy who goes down to swim in the pond after a long day's work. Why don't we just make use of public swimming pools and save the ammunition for the shooting range? By the way, I wouldn't be surprised in the next decades if we find out that the city water supply is contaminated with all sorts of chemicals. It's a known fact that the Pickering nuclear power station releases three times the tritium into the lake compared to any American facility. We also pump chemically altered human waste daily into the lake, the Americans do not do this. Then we have our beloved steel industry who everyone looks the other way for because they're afraid all those guys getting paid to sleep under a stairwell won't be able to pay their property tax hike (city hall wage increase). Drink up.

[Hamilton34]

I don't buy this Goose poo story for our lake. In the eyes of the city it Could NOT possibly be:

-Waste and garbage dumped by people and companies

-The fact SO many people abuse our lake.

Sure it maybe goose poo plays a factor but it is NOT the entire reason.

I don't even know why they don't just declare the water forever polluted or have signs that say:

Warning: Swimming may cause 3 legs and 4 eyes to form on body with a 90% chance of cancer.

[Tom Robertson]

If Council can be intimidated by a skinny little "Caretaker" I am sure they are scared to death of PETA if they take any action to reduce the pollution from geese and pigeons. It looks like Valens won't be "The Best Place to Raise a Child" this weekend.

[Steven Sheen]

Well who wants to be going near that water.Clean it up I say.

[Gene Simmons]

Hey,Ian...I just came up with the idea...the engineering is up to the actual party throwers.

The rest of your ramblings sound kind of sarcastic...is that what you intended?

[Ian]

Apparently Gene hasn't heard about the growing global water shortage, let alone the one here in Flamboro. Ya let's fill up a bunch of pools with potable water so ones and twos of people can have their beach party. Here's an idea, let's deal with the problem at hand.

This situation is indicative of the rest of southern ontario's lakes and streams. The unbridled migratory bird population continues to grow and pollute and our city and provincial planners sit on their thumbs, afraid to do anything about it. I would volunteer my time and ammo to assist in the culling of these once magnificent birds. The cormorant and the canadian goose no longer represents what it used to, thanks to the political intervention of environmentalists, now look what the result is. Whenever you swing the pendulum one way it is bound to come back.

Lastly, here's another idea, let's stop human overpopulation and urban sprawl and the draining of wetlands so that maybe these geese might find a more indigenous place to defecate.
My 3 cents.

[Gene Simmons]

Haha...geese, cow and bird poop in the water. Now imagine the pollution coming from the exhaust pipes of 600 cars (based on a scenario of 5 occupants per car) on a sultry summer day as they arrive and depart...

I don't know anything about this event, but I would either postpone it or move it to a large outdoor public pool. Or here's an idea...fill up a dozen or so of those large inflatable family-sized pools and place them away from the swimming hole. Man has been to the moon...nothing is impossible if we put our complaining aside and set our minds to the task at hand.