To be specific, the TAP water your drinking; safe or not? while it typically is safe here and now in Canada, there was a time in a farming town in western Ontario called Walkerton where the water was contaminated by a strain of O157:H7 E. Coli Bacteria in may 2000. the E. Coli comes from the intestines of healthy cattle and can result in permanent kidney damage or be fatal to humans if they eat it in undercooked hamburger, unpasteurized milk or contaminated water. At least seven people died directly from drinking the E. coli contaminated water, and about 2,500 became ill. Investigators suspect run-off from cattle manure as a probable source of the E. coli in the water. This hasn't been the only case of poor water testing in Canada; In the spring of 1996, hundreds of people in Collingwood, (an hour's drive from Walkerton) become ill after Cryptosporidium, a parasite linked to animal feces, contaminated the drinking water. In 2001 a similar outbreak in North Battleford, Saskatchewan caused by Cryptosporidium affected at least 5,800 people. while no one dies in both of these cases, it is another highlight on Ontario's poor water testing and regulations then. Now of course, with the affect that it had on the people of Walkerton and elsewhere, the government has since tightened up, including enacting the clean water act of 2006, which protects existing and future sources of drinking water. so with that please don't be considering stocking up on crates of bottled water, that is a whole other story of its negative effects on the environment and our bodies. Our water now is relatively safe if you ignore the fluoride which can cause toxicological side-effects so just remember how people just couldn't be sure 12 years ago in the small town of Walkerton, Ontario the next time you're getting water from the tap.Do you believe the Walkerton tragedy could have been prevented? if so, what are the steps you think could have been taken to prevent this tragedy from happening?
Read here for more details:
* http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/macleans/walkerton-tragedy
*http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2010/05/10/f-walkerton-water-ecoli.html
Very interesting, Ada. I do think that the Walkerton tragedy could have been prevented, just by ensuring that the water testing was productive. These are all very sad stories, but it is important to know about them so that they do not happen again. I would be interested in learning more about the Fluoride in tap water that you mentioned. I think I may do some research on that, thank you for the idea!
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