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  Environment & Health Issues

August 3, 2006

DRINKING WATER ADVISORY: SURFACE WATER

The Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health reminds Manitobans that consuming untreated surface water can be a risk to health. This risk can be increased by environmental conditions, such as the dry conditions seen this summer. This reminder is particularly important in the summer months, as seasonal users such as campers and cottagers may be more likely to consume untreated surface water. Surface water includes lakes, rivers, streams and ponds. Untreated water from surface water sources or from wells that may be affected by surface water should not be used for consumptive purposes. Surface water may contain harmful micro-organisms, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, regardless of how clean the water appears.

Information on ways to disinfect water can be found in the Health Canada fact sheet Drinking Water in The Great Canadian Outdoors at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/water-eau/drink-potab/water_outdoors-eau_plein_air_e.html, or on the Manitoba well water fact sheets at: http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/cmoh/water.html.

For further information, contact the Manitoba Office of Drinking Water at

204-945-5762, or Health Links-Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or toll-free at 1-888-315-9257.

June 9, 2005

As a precautionary measure, the chief medical officer of health for Manitoba advises that all people using water from wells or other sources that may have been affected by flooding should boil their water before using it or find alternative supplies of drinking water until flooding subsides and appropriate tests are satisfactory.

Any well-water system, whether deep or shallow, can become contaminated.

The risk for bacterial presence in well water is increased by several factors or conditions including:

- groundwater sources that may be open to the surface because of shallowness and/or water permeable surfaces such as sand, gravel or other non-water-tight materials;
- wells located in pits or depressions;
- wells with unsealed casings, casings that do not extend at least 30 cm or more above the ground or rusted casings;
- wells near other unsealed, abandoned wells;
- wells near septic tanks or fields, barns, feed lots, sink holes or quarries; and
- wells or groundwater sources affected by changes in environmental conditions such as floods and heavy rains.

Water from flood-affected wells should be brought to a rolling boil for one minute prior to use for:

- drinking and ice making,
- preparing beverages such as infant formula,
- preparing food, and
- brushing teeth.

It is not necessary to boil tap water used for other household purposes such as showering, laundry, bathing or washing dishes. Adults, teens and older children can wash, bathe or shower but should avoid swallowing the water.

Toddlers and infants should be sponge bathed. If boiling is not feasible, an alternate and safe supply of water should be used.

To avoid burn injuries from hot water, caution should be taken. Young children should be kept away from boiled water; kettles and pots should be placed away from counter and stove edges.

Well-water sampling should occur after flooding has subsided. Precautions should remain in place until test results confirm the bacterial safety of the water.

Well-water users not affected by flooding are reminded that annual testing of well water is recommended for all groundwater sources.

For further information on wells and water testing, contact your local drinking water officer, the Manitoba Office of Drinking Water at 204-945-5762, Health Links-Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or toll free at

1-888-315-9257 or visit the website at

http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/cmoh/water.html to access the Manitoba well-water fact sheets.

Once a homeowner has collected a sample of their well water, the sample bottles should be dropped off within 24 hours of collection. Samples can be dropped off at a local R.M. office before noon on Tuesdays or the sample bottles can be transported directly to the laboratories listed above. All homeowners are urged to indicate "flood related" on the sample submission sheet.

Since 2001, the province of Manitoba has paid 70 per cent of the analytical cost associated with bacterial testing of private water supplies.

- Cantest - Unit D, 675 Berry St., Winnipeg

- Enviro Test - 745 Logan Ave., Winnipeg.

Canada's/North America's largest polluters of lead - from mining operations are Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba. See www.cec.org

Canada's Federal Budget - Options for the Environment - visit www.greenbudget.ca

The Globe is being challenged by an ecological equation which is unsustainable at current levels.

UN Secretary-General receives Russia’s Kyoto Protocol ratification

I am very glad to announce that today I received the Russian Federation’s instrument of ratification for the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  I congratulate President Putin and the Russian Federation for their leadership in making it possible for the Protocol to enter into force – as it will, 90 days from tomorrow, on 16 February 2005.

This is a historic step forward in the world’s efforts to combat a truly global threat.  Most important, it ends a long period of uncertainty.  Those countries that have ratified the Protocol, and which have been trying to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases even before its entry into force, now have a legally binding obligation to do so. 

Businesses that have been exploring the realm of green technology now have a strong signal about the market viability of their products and services.  And the financial community and insurance industry, which have been trying to “put a price” on the risks associated with climate change, now have a stronger basis for their decision-making on incentives and corporate performance.

All countries must now do their utmost to combat climate change and to keep it from undermining our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.  I therefore take this opportunity to urge those developed countries that have not ratified the Protocol to ratify it and limit their emissions.

The Parties to the Climate Change Convention will have their next major meeting in Buenos Aires from 6 to 17 December.  I hope they will use that occasion to seize the promising possibilities that have been opened up by this major development.

Statement attributable to the Secretary-General upon receiving Russian Federation ratification.
18 November 2004

Statistics Canada issued Human Activity and the Environment, the third annual report of environmental statistics serving as a general reference with 75 data tables, 11 figures and 8 maps.

Statistics Canada. Human Activity and the Environment.Annual

Statistics 2004. Feature: Energy in Canada. Catalogue no. 16-201-XIE. October 2004.

 CDN$46 as printed copy plus shipping outside Canada. Electronic version is $26 at http://www.statcan.ca [Click on Products and services] infostats@statcan.ca

 http://globaled.ausaid.gov.au/un_observ.html

For the status of Anola's boil water advisory, contact 444-3321.

Manitoba Health recommends shocking wells periodically. See www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/odw/public-info/water-well/index.html for precise information and what you should be doing to ensure your water quality is sustained.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) addresses the issue of how the decline in the quantity and quality of the world's freshwater resources "may prove to be the dominant issue on the environment and development agenda of the coming century." Users can learn about water scarcity, water and sanitation, water quality, groundwater, floods and droughts, and other key water-related issues. The website provides links to case studies of some of these key issues such as the mitigation of the impact of urbanization on freshwater resources in Africa. Researchers can find conference proceedings, information on institutions and programs dealing with water resource issues, and policy documentation.

http://freshwater.unep.net/

Useful water facts can be seen below at:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/water/facts_tips.htm

Cooks Creek Conservation District (CCCD)

The CCCD was incorporated in 1979 and covers approximately 862 km2 (333 miles2). It is situated east of Winnipeg and includes most of the Cooks Creek Watershed and parts of the Carrs Creek and lower Seine River basins. The RMs of Springfield, Tache, Ste. Anne, Brokenhead and Reynolds are included in the District. Water management is the most important issue in the District, however another significant concern is poor soil drainage. As a result, the District places emphasis on the maintenance and upgrading of agricultural drainage channels. Other initiatives include sealing abandoned wells, crossing replacements and repairs and public education.

Phone: (204) 444-3652
Fax: (204) 444-4071
Email: cccd@mts.net

http://www.oecd.org/document/30/0,2340,en_2649_33713_33744542_1_1_1_1,00.htm

www.pollutionwatch.org

http://www.ccme.ca/initiatives/standards.html?category_id=51

The practice of backyard burning produces pollutants, including dioxins and furans - toxic, persistent, and bioaccumulative substances that result predominantly from human activity. The study is intended to serve as a resource for jurisdictions in designing strategies to address the practice of residential waste combustion.

Families with young children, those more mature or susceptible to illness and horse owners throughout Springfield are particularly concerned with West Nile Virus, carried by mosquitoes. The Province of Manitoba is aggressively monitoring the WN Virus. While we will post relevant local information as it becomes available, you may wish to visit the Province's West Nile site to obtain comprehensive information as posted by the Manitoba Government.

West Nile Virus Updates

Public information about West Nile virus is available by calling Health Links-Info Santé at 788-8200 in Winnipeg or toll-free at 1-888-315-9257. Additional information is available on the Manitoba Health website at http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/wnv, which is updated with surveillance data weekly.

The 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) entered into force on Monday, May 17, 2004. This marks the start of an ambitious and crucial international effort to rid the world of PCBs, dioxins and furans, and nine highly dangerous pesticides.

“The Stockholm Convention will save lives and protect the natural environment – particularly in the poorest communities and countries – by banning the production and use of some of the most toxic chemicals known to humankind,” said Executive Klaus Toepfer of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), under whose auspices the Convention was adopted.

In addition to banning the use of POPs, the treaty focuses on cleaning up the growing accumulation of unwanted and obsolete stockpiles of pesticides and toxic chemicals that contain POPs. Dump sites and toxic drums from the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s are now decaying and leaching chemicals into the soil and poisoning water resources, wildlife and people. The Convention also requires the disposal of PCBs and PCB-containing wastes.

Every human in the world carries traces of POPs in his or her body. POPs are highly stable compounds that can last for years or decades before breaking down. They circulate globally through a process known as the "grasshopper effect". POPs released in one part of the world can, through a repeated process of evaporation and deposit, be transported through the atmosphere to regions far away from the original source.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to most POPs. The problem has been that high costs, a lack of public awareness, and the absence of appropriate infrastructure and technology have often prevented their adoption. Solutions must be tailored to the specific properties and uses of each chemical, as well as to each country's climatic and socio-economic conditions.

For more information visit: www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=397&ArticleID=4513&l=en

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rare but serious disease which can be spread by deer mice. Since it was first identified in North America in 1993, there have been 57 reported cases of HPS in Canada. In Manitoba, there have been two cases, both fatal, reported in 1999 and 2000.

Although the risk of getting a hantavirus infection in Manitoba is very low, cleaning areas where mice may have frequented can expose people to the virus. This bulletin from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health is a regular annual reminder of precautions that can be taken.

Deer mice are found throughout Manitoba. Basements, attics, lofts, sheds, cottages, yards, farmsteads and other places may contain mice droppings.

Most hantavirus infections have resulted from inhalation of the virus by disturbing mice droppings in enclosed spaces or in other mouse habitats.

Due to the difficulty in identifying rodents and the source of rodent droppings, precautions with all mouse nests and droppings should be considered.

If there is concern about exposure to mice droppings, the following precautions can be taken:

* Air out the area as much as possible. Doors and windows should be opened and buildings should be aired out for about 30 minutes before and after cleaning and disinfecting.

* Wear plastic or rubber gloves as well as full-length clothing during cleanup. Boots that can be washed are the preferred foot covering.

* If dust cannot be avoided in an area that has to be cleaned, respirator equipment with N-100 or P-100 filters should be used. Goggles or more advanced respiratory equipment may be necessary for very dusty areas or if there is evidence of a heavy mouse infestation. For further information, check with safety supply stores or Workplace Safety and Health, Manitoba Labour and Immigration.

* Spray dead rodents, rodent nests, droppings, foods or other items that have been tainted by rodents with a bleach disinfectant (one part household bleach plus nine parts water), wait 10 minutes, then place material into a plastic bag. Seal bag and place in another plastic bag and deposit in the garbage.

* Dampen areas contaminated with rodent droppings with bleach disinfectant. Carpets can be cleaned with water, detergent and a commercial disinfectant or with commercial grade steam cleaning or shampooing. Spray dirt floors with a bleach disinfectant.

* Remove droppings with a damp mop or cloth. Sweeping or vacuuming is not recommended.

* Launder potentially contaminated bedding or clothing in hot water and detergent. Dry laundry by machine on a high setting or place in the sun to air dry.

* Wash gloves before taking them off, then wash hands. Wear gloves to handle any exposed clothing until it can be washed as above.

Symptoms may develop between three days and six weeks after exposure.

Typical symptoms are flu-like and can include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, abdominal pain and shortness of breath.

Death can occur.

Anyone who develops severe flu-like symptoms after exposure to an area contaminated by mice should see a doctor.

Further information on hantavirus, including strategies to prevent rodent infestations, is available from the Manitoba Health hantavirus fact sheet available at http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/cdc/fs/Hantavirusfs.pdf, the U.S.

Centre for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/index.htm, local public health offices, Workplace Safety and Health at 204-945-6848, or Health Links/Info Santé at 788-8200 or toll free at 1-888-315-9257.