ENVE 8900-31 Water Treatment and Reuse

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of Windsor

Assignment 1: The Walkerton Tragedy

Shaghayegh Ziazarifi
110074328

Instructor:
Dr. Saad Jasim

October 17, 2022

 Answer the following questions:

a) Briefly outline the ethical responsibility of the major ‘players’ relating to the
Walkerton drinking water contamination tragedy? Professional engineers are
frequently involved in the design and approval process of drinking water plants. Do
you think engineers have an ethical responsibility to ensure the drinking water plants
they design or upgrade provides water that meets Ontario drinking water standards?

The Walkerton PUC Operators' Role:

The Walkerton PUC commissioners were in charge of establishing and overseeing the
regulations that the PUC had to follow. In order to run the water facility, the general manager
and employees were in charge of enforcing these policies. The operator's erroneous
monitoring and chlorination procedures were unknown to the commissioners.
Two grave mistakes:

1-Operational issue; failure to daily test the chlorine residual, using wells without
chlorination

2. The manner PUC staff members handled the outbreak in May 2000.
• failing to disclose negative test findings
• Deceiving the medical unit
• reporting incorrect sampling sites

The Municipality's and Mayor's Roles : Given that a public utility commission was in
charge of running the water system at the time, the municipality's involvement was minimal.
The Walkerton town council's response to the 1998 inspection report was fair given that the
Walkerton PUC held authority and operation of the waterworks. The board had a right to rely
on the PUC commissioners to take action in response to the report's inadequacies.

Public health authorities' function: The health unit routinely carried out its supervisory
duties by receiving notification of poor water quality and MOE inspection reports and
reacting to such reports when it thought a response was required. It would have been ideal if
the health unit had responded to the several reports of poor water quality it received from
Walkerton between 1995 and 1998 as well as the 1998 MOE inspection report more actively.
There were definite signs that the water quality in Walkerton was declining in the middle to
late 1990s.

The MOE's Function : According to the report, it would be unreasonable for the MOE to
anticipate that all managers of small water systems, like the one in Walkerton, would possess
the knowledge required to recognise water sources that are susceptible to contamination or
comprehend the necessity of setting up continuous chlorine residual and turbidity monitors
where such vulnerability exists. The outbreak might have been stopped if Well 5 had been
continuously monitored.Role of engineers
Every step of the manufacturing and distribution of drinking water involves engineers. This
participation can roughly be classified into three categories:
1) the design, building, operation, maintenance, and renewal of water systems with a
technical focus on source protection and monitoring.
2) Regulatory, such as standards and approvals
3) Financial, such as the economics of water production and distribution, including the cost-
effectiveness of various system alternatives, planning new and replacement facilities, and
generating operating and capital works budgets

b) Do you think that the communication breakdown and poor regulatory oversight that,
in part, led to the Walkerton drinking water contamination tragedy could
happen in other drinking water plants in Canada or in other developed
countries?

Certainly, it can happen if major players and authorities do not follow ethical responsibilities
and do not pay adequate attention to their work. Additionally, they should complete the
necessary courses

d- What was the effect of the lack of training on what happened in Walkerton in May
2000 on some decisions affecting, and what is the importance of having competent
management for drinking water systems? Do you think that a well-trained operator
could prevent an outbreak from happening?

During the May 2000 tragedy, Walkerton's water system was operated in an ineffective way
due to two serious problems. In Well 5, turbidity and chlorine residuals were not
continuously monitored, which was the first mistake. As a result of the MOE's failure to
perform its regulatory and oversight duties, continuous monitoring wasn't utilized at Well 5.
Because of their inexperience and lack of training, the PUC operators failed to identify the
vulnerability of Well 5 to surface contamination and to understand the need for a continuous
monitoring system.
A municipal water system manager has a lot of duties. Knowing more than just how to operate
the system mechanically or what to do in a typical situation is necessary for
competent management.
Although Stan and Frank Koebel had a lot of experience running the Walkerton water system,
they were lacking in two crucial areas. They did not understand the significance of the
health dangers associated with consuming polluted water or the seriousness of their
negligence in properly treating and monitoring the water. They were under the
impression that the raw water supplying the Walkerton wells was secure.

e- What are the Walkerton Inquiry Recommendations related to the Certification and
Training for operators?

For each trained operator once obligatory certification was implemented in 1993, the MOE
mandated 40 hours of training annually. The training that Stan and Frank Koebel did get did
not appropriately cover drinking water safety, and neither did the instruction they did receive.

 Recommendation 63
 The Ministry of the Environment should take steps to ensure that operators in small and
isolated communities have access to training courses and that the courses are adapted to their
needs.

 Recommendation 64
The Ministry of the Environment should consult with stakeholders to assess current training
programmes and ascertain the long-term training needs of the waterworks sector.
Recommendation 64. The ministry should take the initiative to make sure that a variety of
courses on the topics needed to train operators are accessible. The recommendations from the
Walkerton Enquiry continue.

 Recommendation 92
The provincial government should actively provide its training programmes and facilities to
First Nations water system operators on a cost-recovery basis.

f- What are the Walkerton Inquiry Recommendations regarding Sampling and

Monitoring of Water Quality?

 Recommendation 37
As suggested in Chapter 11 of this study, each municipal water provider should be
accountable for creating a sufficient sampling and continuous measurement plan as part of its
operational plan.

 Recommendation 38
Plans for sampling should provide for sampling under the circumstances that are the most
difficult for the system, such as after significant rainfall or spring flooding.

 Recommendation 39
Recommendation 39 Ontario Regulation 459/00 should be changed to establish standard
protocols that are at least as good as those in Standard Methods for the collection,
transport, custody, labelling, testing, and reporting of drinking water samples as well as for
testing all scheduled contaminants.

g- How would the establishment of the Walkerton Clean Water Centre support providing
safe drinking water?

coordination and delivery of training

• The coordination and delivery of training to drinking water system owners, operators, and
operational authorities is the primary activity.
• Pay attention to remote and tiny communities
• Training programs in advanced water treatment and advanced water treatment technologies
• By November 2005, two courses will be required:
• Entry-Level Course for Operators in Training (Certificate Renewal Course) in Protecting
Drinking Water Quality

Advice & information for tiny systems

• Special needs and challenges;
• Making tools and programs.
• Partnership established with Northern Ontario colleges
• Small water system operators will have access to a mobile pilot unit for practical training.

display of technology
• Launch the creation of the Walkerton demonstration center (Development of an Interim
Facility).
• In January 2006, a donation request for water treatment equipment was published.
• A Surprisingly Positive Reaction from Industry Suppliers and Manufacturers (Donations
Exceeded $600,000)
• On June 19, 2006, the Interim Technology Demonstration Facility was formally
inaugurated.

Training & Outreach

• A clearinghouse for technical, scientific, and regulatory information education and
outreach.

To minister is advised by research.

• Contribute to and sponsor a study looking at how membrane filtration affects the removal of
drugs and endocrine disruptors.
• Work on a Reverse Osmosis project to assess whether this technology may be used to
address treatment and water quality problems.
• Examine how ozone affects coagulation in cold water temps.
• Encourage the study of disinfection byproducts (DBPs)
• Support graduate studies (Ph.D. and M.Sc.) to assess the elimination of medications and
personal care items utilizing advanced oxidation processes (O3, UV, and O3/H2O2,

References:

I. ENVE 8900-31 Water Treatment and Reuse lecture slides

II. Report of wakerton inquiry chapter8