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The Oakville Beaver, W ednesday July 10, 2002 - A 3 Halton employs dual-testing system (Continued from page A1) excellent results," said Monica Klawunn, labora tory supervisor, Water Section. "We want to make sure we have safe drinking water." The paperwork and procedures associated with the testing is stringent and helps staff pin point the possible source of a problem in the least amount of time. O f course, all equipment and testing media in which cultures are grown is kept strictly aseptic at all times to avoid contaminants. Lab technician Merrilu Brown was pleased to say that she has never encountered E. coli in samples tested at the facility -- not that the staff didn't do their best to find them. One way to ensure accurate results, she explained, is to use a membrane filtration system which traps bacteria which are then allowed to incubate on a growth medium for 22 hours, then counted. Colonies of E. coli show up as a "very clear blue," although Brown says there should be absolutely zero amounts in all drinking water samples. (For Brown's demonstration for this story, E. coli was specially grown, not taken from anywhere in Halton's water supply.) In "presence/absence" testing, water is added to a growth "broth" that's incubated for 48 hours and first tested for coliforms at 24 hours. If pres ent, the sample fluoresces under special light. (Coliforms are known as indicator organisms, meaning that if they survived the purification process, E. coli might have as well.) Halton is also only one of a handful of munic ipalities that employs a dual testing system whereby the Regional Health Department inde pendently samples and tests water and has done so for the past 15 years. Com m issioner o f Planning and Public Works Patrick Murphy explained this is done not because the Halton laboratory is ineffec tive, but as just another level of insurance. The entire system is also audited regularly by out side agencies. Any health concerns from test results are immediately brought to the attention of Dr. Robert Nosal, Halton's Medical Officer of Health, as well as the Ministry of Health. Communication is key, especially with new reg- Plant offers multi-barrier approach to purification By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Jamie Smith · Special to the Oakville Beaver Lab technician Merrilu Brown was pleased to say that she has never encountered E. coli in samples tested at the facility. The E. coli above was specially grown and not taken frorii any where in Halton's water supply. ulations in place in the wake of Walkerton, says Manager, Healthy Environments, Tony Amalfa. "Everyone knows right away," he said, explaining that Halton kept officials and citi zens in the loop well before that tragedy. Re-testing is then conducted, which usually finds a testing error, not something wrong with the water. If a problem is determined, parts of the system can be flushed and the public noti fied. Transparency is also a hallmark of Halton's system. Free quarterly water quality reports can be downloaded from the Halton Region Web site at www.region.halton.on.ca. You can also pick up a copy from Planning and Public Works at regional headquarters, 1151 Bronte Rd., or order by phone at 905-825-6032. The Web site offers a variety of information about local water quality, including links to the provincial standards. An annual report on the performance of water purification plants is also available on the Web site. The Oakville Purification Plant's multi-barrier approach to water purification begins 800 metres out in Lake Ontario, off the foot of Kerr Street and 10 metres down where water is first drawn into the system. The water is first screened of large objects such as logs, fish, zebra mussels and plant material then pumped into the treatment plant. Chlorine, aluminum sulphate (alum) and/or polymers are then added to kill germs, improve the taste and odour and to help settle solids still present in the water. The alum and other additives cling to these substances in a process called coagulation, which causes the particles to adhere together to form larger particles called floe. In the sedimentation stage, water and floe flow into basins where the particulate settles to the bottom and is removed. The water then flows through filters made of layered sand and gravel which remove any remaining particles. Chlorine or other disinfecting chemicals is added to kill any remaining germs and to maintain the water's safety for when it is pumped out to the public. Sometimes "super-chlorination" is necessary to modi fy the taste and odour of water, which is later dechlori nated using sulfur dioxide. In the final stage in the process, water is placed in a closed tank, called a clear well, to allow time for the chlo rine to achieve thorough disinfection. The water is then transported to customers throughout the system. The Region's latest infrastructure improvements include the current construction of a $17-million ozona tion facility at the Burlington Water Purification Plant, scheduled for completion in 2004. According to Commissioner of Planning and Public Works Patrick Murphy, ozonation is 100 per cent more effective than chlorination alone and is especially efficient for Cryp tosporidium and giardia, which are resistant to chlorine and so tiny they are difficult to remove with conventional filtration. It is also useful in improving taste and odour. The local plant is next in line for an ozonation upgrade. Truck inspected following roll-over The investigation continues into Saturday's dump truck roll over in which, miraculously, no one was killed. According to Halton Regional Police, the incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. when a dump truck driven by a 41-year old Burlington man was southbound on Bronte Road approaching Dundas Street when his vehicle's brakes apparently failed. The truck, travelling at approximately 60 km/hr., say police, was in the right turn lane facing a red light when the driver attempted to avoid heavy traffic in the intersection by making a hard right turn into the west bound lanes of Bronte Road. The turn shifted the truck's load of sand, causing the vehicle to roll onto the driver's side where it crushed a 1996 Honda Civic with two people inside. The truck driver and the 49year-old female driver of the Civic were transported to Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. The 74-year-old passenger in the car had to be extricated by the Oakville Fire Department and was taken to hospital with seri ous, but not life-threatening, injuries. The dump truck has been seized by police pending a com mercial vehicle inspection. Midnight Madness July 19 Downtown Oakville is gearing up for the 25th anniversary of Midnight Madness on Friday, July 19 and local community groups are being invited to join the fun. The event will begin at 6 p.m. when the streets will fill with live entertainment, food and bar gains. Lakeshore Road will be closed from Navy to Allan streets, including all side streets from Church to Robinson streets. The Downtown Oakville BIA is inviting non profit community groups and organizations to participate in the festivities. Midnight Madness is an evening the whole community can join, and with more than 50,000 visitors in attendance annually, it's a great oppor tunity for you to showcase an organization. Registration forms are available at www.oakvilledowntown.com, or at the BIA office at 146 Lakeshore Road. E. (between Navy and Thomas streets) or call the BIA at 905-8444520 to have a form faxed to you. 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