Windsor avoids Flint water woes

By Mark Brown

Residents of Windsor and some Essex County communities can rest easy knowing that their drinking water is safe, according to local health and utility officials.

EnWin Utilities Ltd., the company that handles drinking water for the city of Windsor, as well as Tecumseh, Essex and LaSalle, ensures that the water is cleaner than provincial standards and free of the issues that have recently plagued the water supply in Flint, Michigan.  Flint’s residents have been battling problems with water quality since their primary water source was switched to the Flint River in the spring of 2014.  The crisis and the way it has been handled has put numerous health officials and politicians in the hot seat, including Michigan governor Rick Snyder.

EnWin’s director of corporate communications Barbara Peirce Marshall said that Windsor’s primary water source, the Detroit River, has been around for centuries and suits the region well.  The river is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the largest system of fresh water in the world.

“We are very fortunate to have had an abundant supply of good water,” said Marshall.

Primarily, lead has been the issue in Flint.  Lead levels had been recorded as high as 397 parts per billion, according to the New York Times’ timeline of the Flint water crisis.  According to guidelines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the level of concern for lead is 15 parts per billion.

Windsor Essex County Health Unit CEO Dr. Gary Kirk said effects of lead poisoning are significant, particularly in children.

“Those are the ones with the most rapidly-developing brains so for kids who are exposed to high levels of lead they can develop things like behavioural issues,” said Kirk.  “They can lose milestones they would normally attain.  They can actually lose IQ points so there can be profound significant effects depending on the level of lead exposure and the duration of lead exposure.”

Marshall acknowledges that in many older homes, like those in Walkerville, lead may be more of an issue.   However, she points out that such problems are not likely caused by the water supply.  Marshall said residents do have options to consider if they are concerned about lead.

“If a resident has a concern of any kind, at any time, they can always call (EnWin’s) call centre,” said Marshall.  “From there it would be a question of talking to somebody knowledgeable within the company.”

Kirk said water testing is the ideal first step and concurs that Windsor’s water supply does not have the complications that arose in Flint.

“Our water in contrast…is very safe.  It doesn’t have the high lead levels,” said Kirk.

Marshall says EnWin is definitely monitoring the situation in Flint, though officials in the city or the state of Michigan have not approached them for assistance.

She said residents with concerns about lead in their drinking water should call EnWin’s call centre at (519) 255-2727 or visit www.enwin.com/customerservice.

 

 

A walker strolls along the Windsor riverfront on Feb. 23. The Detroit River is Windsor’s primary source of drinking water. (PHOTO/Mark Brown)