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Originally constructed in 1990, the Horseshoe Highlands elevated water tank has been in need of repair at least since 2010.
Six technical reports prepared for Oro-Medonte Township between 2010 and 2020 all identified some major maintenance deficiencies that need to be addressed. Among the deficiencies, the tower needs to be taken out of service for about six weeks and cleaned and painted on the interior and exterior.
In 2010, Oro-Medonte staff reported that the “coatings from (this) time period were typically lead-based paint.” The mere mention of “lead” in drinking water can send shivers up the spines of operators of water systems. That’s because, according to Health Canada, “The threshold below which lead is no longer associated with adverse neurodevelopmental effects cannot be identified.” In short, there is no known safe threshold for lead in drinking water.
Fortunately, in Ontario, testing standards for municipal drinking water systems are stringent. Water testing by the township and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks reveals no concerns for water users. However, it is not clear whether the corroding metal inside the tank is sloughing off lead-based paint products that could contaminate the drinking water.
In addition to the paint coatings potentially contaminating the water with lead, there is also the problem of sediments that have built up in the bottom of the tank. The tank has never been cleaned since it was built and sediments between three and six centimetres in depth have accumulated. According to a leading authority on water tanks, sediment removal is important to “remove the risk of bacteria gaining a foothold in (a municipal) distribution system.” He goes on to write that, “The EPA has identified bacteria, protozoa and even viruses that can use the sediment commonly found in water storage for a habitat.”
In failing to carry out the regular cleaning and by deferring maintenance expenditures, there are known risks to health. The township now faces the task of whether to build a new tank or refurbish the old one. New tanks at Horseshoe recently cost about $5 million to build. Refurbishment? Perhaps $1.5 million to $2 million. It would be a shame to waste a 32-year-old tank just because it needs to be refurbished.
Now for the more-than-a-million-dollar question. Are there potential dangers lurking inside the Horseshoe Highlands water tower? The only way to know for sure is to test the sediments and the deteriorating paint coatings. According to water experts, samples can be taken from a water storage facility without draining the tank. Here in Ontario, contractors have the specialized equipment for sampling that does not affect water quality.
Should the township carry out this bacteriological and chemical testing of the sediments? If it was your health on the line, and you were in charge, which option would you choose?
Option 1: Carry out the tests and find out the tank just needs to be cleaned and repainted but the water is safe.
Option 2: Continue to do what the township is doing. Don’t carry out the chemical and bacteriological tests inside the tank. Later you find out testing should have been done because the tank was not safe and people have taken ill.
I think we know the option we would all choose. Put in these terms, it is a no-brainer.
Tim Taylor
Oro-Medonte
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