Concerns for Quarry Pits in regards to groundwater resources in Brant County. Looking at geological and economic risks and the need to protect water and farmland.

1. Brant and Brent County Water Risks
By Louisette Lanteigne
butterflybluelu@rogers.com

2. Water + Aggregates = Aquifers
The gravel controls water flow rates, volumes,water quality and temperature.

3. Watersheds show how surface water gathers
but it has no regard for what's underneath.

4. Water systems can connect underground in spite of topography
Sediment studies showed the links.
(cross section of Waterloo Moraine)

5. Wells are like a big straw gathering all fluid around it.
Contamination is drawn in regardless of topography.
Mike Stone re: Waterloo Moraine Chloride issues

6. Brant County Recharge Areas
The blue zones gather your water supply

7. Development is paving over recharge.
More pavement = less groundwater

8. Gravel pits are digging up your water supply!

9. Brant's Groundwater
Groundwater withdrawn annually =
30 million litres/year
County of Brant Municipal Groundwater Study 2005

10. Brant's Groundwater Value: Municipal Use
1% of the groundwater = 821.92 L per day
1% of the groundwater = 821.92 L per day
Brant County makes money selling water at a rate of 1 cent to 3 cents
per litre but, if Brant loses access to 1 to 10% of the current water
volumes this is how much money they stand to lose per day in potable
water sales.
Volumes lost
per day % of
groundwater
Total volume
lost per day in
litres
Cost of water
lost per day at
1 cent
Cost of water
lost per day at
2 cents
Cost of water
lost at per day
at 3 cents
1% 821.92L $821.92 $1643.84 $2465.76
2% 1643.84L $1643.84 $3287.68 $4931.52
5% 4109.60L $4109.60 $8219.20 $12,328.80
10% 8219.20L $8219.20 $16,582.40 $24,801.60

11. Agricultural Industries needs water too!
Farm Cash Receipts for Main Commodities,
Brant, 2009 (Total = $171.6 million)
20 businesses involved in food manufacturing jobs in
20 businesses involved in food manufacturing jobs in
Brant/Brent County support around 2,300 jobs!
Brant/Brent County support around 2,300 jobs!
Sources: 2006 Census of Agriculture and Strategic Policy Branch, OMAFRA Dec-2010
http://www.brantfordbrant.com/KeyIndustries/FoodManufacturing/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.brantfordbrant.com/KeyIndustries/FoodManufacturing/Pages/default.aspx

12. .
In the past decade the following companies have
invested in the community

13. Food Packagers
Farming extends benefits to other sectors
Transportation Services
Tourism Restaurants

14. .
Brantford·Brants Advantages
•
Transportation includes 400 series highways, two international airports,
international border crossing at Niagara Falls and inter-modal facilities in
western GTA
•
Proximity to Ontario and Northern US customer market and suppliers
•
Strong labour force growth trends
•
Productive, skilled labour force
•
Competitive wage levels
•
Access to suppliers and competitively priced high quality raw materials
•
Low land and construction costs when compared to other Southern Ontario
locations
•
Low cost electricity and telecommunication costs
•
Cost competitive business conditions
•
Proximity to major consumer markets considered a major factor in attracting
warehouse and distribution facilities

15. Another advantage: WATER

16. Mark Wales, President of
Ontario Federation of Agriculture states:
“Canada is expected to be one of
only six countries in the world to be
a net exporter of food.”
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2012/06/04/19836431.html

17. Here are the risks!
Phosphates stimulate the growth of plants, contributes to
nitrate issues and the growth of toxic algae.
Nitrates can kill fish, result in dead zones in lakes and can
cause blue baby syndrome. It also contributes to nitrite
related cancers. It cannot be filtered out.
Ammonia causes corrosive damage to human body tissue
where there is contact and it makes water more expensive
to treat.
Contamination risks are created by partially treated
sewage, farm runoff, legacy spills, landfills, pesticides,
drought, climate change etc.

18. .
Atrazine contaminated US water supplies.
Drought and depleted aquifers reduced groundwater to dilute.

19. US drought resulted in toxic feed
Cattle are being poisoned by cyanide-laced weeds in Arkansas. Across the Midwest
water-soluble fertilizers are concentrating in soils and plants, making them harmful
rather than productive. And in Missouri, samples suggest that more than half the corn
crop isn't fit for human consumption, thanks to unusually high levels of nitrogen. There
was not enough water for photosynthesis and high nitrate build up made the corn
toxic.
http://current.com/10b70kc

20. Natural Wetlands can filter out nitrate and
phosphate issues 80-90%
www.creditvalleyca.ca/wp.../01/ValuingWetlandsPhase1-final.pdf

21. Wetlands support Endangered Species
Protect them, protect your water quality
Brant has Endangered
Blanding's Turtles
“Next to habitat loss, road
mortality is one of the biggest
threats to their remaining
populations,” the GRCA
released in a statement.
The area of concern is Highway
24, south of Cambridge, passing
through Brant and Norfolk
Counties on the way to Lake
Erie, where Blanding’s turtles
are the prevalent species at risk.

22. .
Brant is home to many confirmed threatened
and endangered species. Source: GRCA

23. Lake Erie Pipeline
30 years ago, plans were set to dig up gravel in
the Grand River Watershed to build a big city
around Waterloo Region.
These plans relied on a pipeline to replace water
volumes to allow our groundwater source areas to
be dug up for gravel pits.
The plans were based on a false belief that
Canada had plenty of water to spare. This was
before climate change, food and water security
became public issues.

24. Lake Erie Water Pipeline
- Cost: $1.2 billion (2008)
- no water treatment or
transportation costs
- Does not include cost to
upgrade intake facilities.
- Water delivered over 100
km uphill. Where will we
get the energy?
- The Grand River would
become “infrastructure”
and lose heritage status.

25. Big Water Pipes Break!
The Lake Huron water pipe 6 to London Ontario broke twice in
two years forcing half a million people to rely on the municipal
reservoirs. It was the 4th time the pipe broke in 66 years. The
first break was when the pipe was just 17 years old. London
only has 3 days of water storage in their reservoir.
The Big Leak by Norman De Bono, The London Free Press May 24, 2012
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2012/05/23/19788776.html

26. REGARDING ENGINEERING FIRMS
There is no money in discovering bad geology...or is there?
Engineering firms often conduct environmental assessment for
approval processes. Once they signed off, the liability risks
transfers to the firm who purchased their data. If issues arise
due to poor environmental studies, they are not held liable but
they do stand to profit from remediation jobs if things go wrong!

27. )
When cities are sued, taxpayers pay!
Municipalities risk being held liable, criminally or
civilly, for malfunctions of their sewer and water
pipes despite statutory authority and immunity.
The courts are much more willing to impose
liability on municipalities than they have been to
impose similar liability on more senior
governments.
OSWCA Paper to CWWA - 27 Feb 2007
http://ebookbrowse.com/oswca-paper-to-cwwa-27-feb-2007-final-pdf-d25588171
by Jackie Campbell, B.Sc. (Pharm.), LLB, Dianne Saxe, Ph.D. in Law, Certified Specialist in
Environmental Law & Frank Zechner, B.A.Sc., P.Eng., LLB (Executive Director, Ontario Sewer and
Watermain Construction Association

28. Lake Erie:Under Stress
Toxic Algae Issues
Growing “Dead Zone”
Declining water volumes
Greater contamination risk
Climate Change
Invasive species
Water taking (CAN & US)
Bulk Water Shipments

29. Zebra Mussels in intake pipes
ar

30. August 31st to September 7 2012
The rotting fish carcasses as well as some dead birds
lined the shore of Lake Erie for 40 kilometres.
Lack of Oxygen Killed Lake Erie Fish Test Show Richard J. Brennan, National Affairs
Writer, Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1250979--tens-of-thousands-of-dead-fish-rotting-on-lake-erie-shore

31. Lake Erie March 12, 2012
Will it even be drinkable?
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=77506

32. The Moraines have been providing drinking water for
free for over 15,000 years. They need protection!

33. Conserve & Recycle Aggregates
(Bricks made from human sludge!)

34. Protect our A1 Farmlands and source
water areas for generations to come

35. Protect the function of Aggregates because
Aggregates = Water Supply

36. To view presentation online visit
http://www.slideshare.net/Waterloomoriane/brantwater