The Grand River is becoming cleaner, but Wellesley council’s support for a new regional wastewater master plan will speed the process along, says a representative of the body charged with overseeing the watershed.
Laurie Minshall, the Grand River Conservation Authority’s director of water management, was in council chambers Monday night to provide an update on the organization’s water management plan, which is meant to improve water quality in the watershed through a partnership with surrounding municipalities.
“This is a voluntary, joint plan … It’s a case of putting our minds together around the best ways to get what we need. It’s a proactive plan for a healthy watershed,” she explained to councillors.
Under the Lake Erie Management Plan, she explained, the rehabilitation of the Grand River is a bi-national priority as the river contributes ten per cent of the drainage to Lake Erie and is the largest contributor of phosphorus to the lake’s eastern basin.
“That’s part of the reason at this present time, [the initiative for] the partnership to put together a joint plan is quite strong,” she said.
“The goals of the plan this time around are to secure future water supplies, to reduce flood damage potential, to improve water quality, while accommodating growth in population and sustainable agriculture … and make the watershed more resilient so it can cope better with climate change,” Minshall explained before addressing the role Wellesley council can take in support of the initiative.
Waterloo Region’s investment in the upgrades to the Kitchener-Waterloo [water treatment] plants that have started under construction now will over the next five years result in the very measurable improvement in the Grand River quality, she told councillors, even considering the population growth over the next 20 years.
“One of the things that you can do as a council, as part of this plan, is to encourage Waterloo Region in the implementation of its wastewater master plan,” she explained, as in the summer months half of the nutrients in the watershed come from wastewater treatment plants in the cities.
“A second thing that you can do is support the implementation of the Rural Water Quality Plan.”
Minshall said working with farmers is essential because in the spring almost all of the nutrients are coming from non-point sources resulting from land runoff.
Councillors seemed on board with the plan, with Mayor Ross Kelterborn emphasizing the township’s ongoing support for efforts put forth by the GRCA.
Though a water management plan has been in the works for more than 75 years, Minshall identified the plan update as a priority for the organization and affected municipalities as the deadline for its completion in early 2013 approaches.
“Water quality has been improving for decades and has progressed from being an open sewer to an asset that is appreciated in communities. It still has a way to go,” she said.
The GRCA will be holding three information meetings this winter regarding the new plan. One meeting will be to update the municipalities, the other two meetings will be held for a broader audience regarding the effects of nutrients and climate change on the Grand River watershed.
