Frequently Asked Questions

Q How did the water system in Walkerton get contaminated?

     A     Walkerton’s water system is believed to have been contaminated by manure from a nearby cattle farm that entered the municipality’s water system because of the heavy rainfall experienced between the dates of May 8, 2000 and May 12, 2000.  On May 12, 2000, the PUC operators failed to accurately check the chlorine residual levels of the Walkerton water supply and were therefore unaware of the contamination that occurred as a result.  On May 15, 2000, samples of the Walkerton water were sent to A&L Canada Laboratory for a microbiological analysis.  On May 17, 2000 the laboratory reported to Stan Koebel that the water had high levels of total coliforms as well as E. coli.

Q How many people have contracted the disease?

     A     Six deaths and several illnesses have been reported to date.  According to Dr. McQuigge, Walkerton’s Medical Officer of Health, approximately 400 residents are at risk to the disease.

Q Is the Walkerton Hospital equipped to handle the crisis? If not, how are health concerns to be addressed?

     A     The Walkerton Hospital is designed to accommodate only 250 patients. Since up to 400 people are at risk, Dr. McQuigge is converting the gymnasium of Walkerton High School into a shelter to treat overflow patients. Bottled water has already been ordered by the Town of Walkerton and will be available at the shelter free of charge. Also, hospitals in nearby towns have been contacted and our preparing their facilities.

Q Why wasn’t anyone notified of the outbreak right away?

     A     Unfortunately, there is currently no legislation or laws that require a laboratory that tests water samples to immediately forward adverse results to the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) or to health authorities. Consequently, A&L Canada Laboratories, who conduct microbiological analyses of Walkerton’s water, did not inform the health authorities or the MOE. New legislation will have to be drafted to prevent such a situation from happening in the future. Had the results been immediately forwarded, the E. coli would have been detected two days soon. Another major reason that E. coli was not detected sooner is because PUC staff did not properly monitor the chlorine levels of the water system. 

Q How much is this going to cost?

    A    The cost of the water crisis has not been accurately determined as of yet.  Financial analysts estimate that total costs of the water crisis could be up to $60 million.  That includes loss in business revenue, costs to clean and repair water systems throughout Walkerton, legal services, health costs, to name just a few.  It is estimated that in regards to the remediation of the contamination, the approximate cost is $9,000,000, which includes emergency services that are currently being provided by the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) to aid in water main replacement, well rehabilitation, as well as operation and maintenance on the water system.

Q Who is going to pay for the water cleanup efforts in Walkerton?

    A    The completed cost allocation will only be complete once all of the figures from the resulting tragedy damage are in, but it is forecasted that the Walkerton PUC, the town of Walkerton, as well as the provincial and federal governments will all contribute to paying for the cleanup efforts.

Q What is the company doing to help the cleanup efforts in Walkerton?

    A    At the present time, the Walkerton PUC is attempting to spread the word of the contamination via radio and television broadcasting in order to reach a wide audience, while also setting up an informational pamphlet distribution program in order to raise the public's awareness about the issue.  Measures are being taken to determine who is accountable for the late notice of the water contamination, as well as to determine why nothing was done about the situation sooner.

Q Will there be some retraining program available for PUC workers?

     A     Yes, since the improper operating procedures by the PUC operators such as failing to use adequate doses of chorine, improperly stating locations where the microbiological samples were taken, falsifying entries about the chlorine residuals in the daily operating records, as well as failing to monitor the chlorine residuals on a daily basis, resulted in this serious tragedy.  A complete retraining program will commence to ensure that the employees of the Walkerton PUC will know that their past behaviour was unacceptable and that stringent measures will have to take place to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the town’s drinking water supply. Moreover, the town of Walkerton hired an expert in water management from Toronto to oversee all PUC activity over the next two months.

Q What is going to be done in the future to prevent such an outbreak?

    A    Plans are currently in the works for a water cleanup effort headed by the Ontario government to ensure safe drinking water for residents as well as to protect the public's health.  The propose 'clean water' plan will attempt to cover the following objectives:

Once the current water situation is handled, the program will be put into full effect.

Q What is the PUC doing to restore a safe supply of drinking water?

    A    The PUC has acted immediately to tackle the incorrect operational practices within the facility by instructing all of its staff the proper procedures.  An extensive cleanup effort will be carried out including the following:

Q How will this affect Walkerton PUC staff pertaining to employment?

    A    There are no plans to fire or lay off internal staff.  On the contrary, in order to prevent job loss, employment related to fixing the fixing the water system, whether in construction, administration, or legal services, will be first offered to Walkerton residents.  PUC operators could be offered jobs in rebuilding the water pipes.

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