Before I start another rant, for some reason the spacing here on this blog is not good. I can't fix it for the life of me. . .so don't email me to tell me my formatting is less than perfect please. . .
As I age, I feel I should get more political. So here I go. This is a scattered and sleep deprived attempt:
Sauble Beach residents do not need municipal sewer and water. Just take the pipeline idea, and forget about it. Who really wants water that is chlorinated, and treated with oodles of chemicals, when there is natural sand filtering action in place? Here at home (Blyth),I don't even like to wash my face with our Sodium Silicate and Sodium Hypochlorite treated water.
Check out this site http://www.anaturalway.com/water.html . There are oodles of reasons as why not to persue a sewer and water system. When I moved here (Blyth), after using the water, my eczema flared up like crazy, I found that it was a reaction to the water.
For Sauble residents, if you have a good personal water system ( for example, a sand point, pounded down through many feet of sand (25 feet at my Chromosome Donor's home in Sauble ) and your septic tank is a raised filter bed, you are good to go (it's a bit more involved than that).
There are other personal options as well, that could be used (UV, Reverse Osmosis,), yes they all cost, not one system fits all. There are pro's and con's with any option. In my opinion, the chemicals that are used in conventional water treatment are terrible. Would you like lemonade with your Javex? Would those systems cost as much as the blanket solution of sewer and water?
The sewer and water installation benefits mainly the businesses that dot the main street. Yet, it is the taxpayers who are going to be footing the bill for bikini joints and burger barns. Although progress can be good, it is not necessarily progressive.
I realize that there are people who do not have "good" personal systems in place, and in that case there should be a non partisan person come out and do an inspection of those properties/all properties, and force the owners to get up to code. If the owners do not want to comply, then a course of action should be taken. If the owners decide to sell the property, then prior to sale, the property in question should be forced to get up to code.
I can understand the Sauble "downtown" (I use that term lightly), wanting to hop on the sewer and water train for infrastructure purposes. Yet, it should not be forced down the throats of those who have good, tested, and up to date systems in place.
Even with the "wonders" of municipally treated water, mistakes and consequences have happened. Walkerton is a great example, look at the Bayfield and area currently under a boil water advisory (broken pipe). In Walkerton's case human error / neglect / drunkenness was at fault.
As a person who has come down with Beaver Fever (from brushing my teeth with tainted water ~~ yes, the Honeymoon in Algonquin was not without bears andstomach issues (quite romantic), I am aware that there are diseases you can get from drinking bad / or untreated water.
I really think that the idea of municipal water systems in rural areas are not always the best solution. They are pricey, do not necessarily have the most health benefits, and are an infringement upon the rights of property owners. Cryptosporidium was the cause of deaths in the States, and made thousands sick. . .municipal water.
Another thought, attention was drawn to little streams running down to the beach that had high levels of e coli. There is animal life around streams, deer, mice, raccoons. This is called an ecosystem, part of the web of life .
Yes, there should be more delving in to where the contamination is coming from, but I would be very hesitant to blanket the issue by saying septic tanks are the culprit at this point.
But there should be education vis a vis septic tanks, wells, bla bla. Not all people know the in's and out's of these systems. From vacationing at my parent's cottage (in the family since the 1950's and where they now live), I have personally gleaned some information.
Don't flush huge amounts of toilet paper. (There are biodegradable versions out there, and a little goes a long way. . .).
Be wary of store bought septic system treatments that promise to solve problems.
Don't flush or put anything down your sink other than what is supposed to go there.
Don't use excess amounts of soap or detergent.
Only wash full loads if using a dishwasher.
Use sink strainers. (The mesh ones from the dollar store).
Anything that you put down your plumbing ends up in the tank.
I am not editing this yet because I have a lot more to say but I am sleepy. |
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