Simcoe water quality mostly good

[kickingfrog]

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2013/07/16/data-shows-water-quality-mostly-good-in-lake-simcoe

 

 

Data shows water quality mostly good in Lake Simcoe

 

By Bob Bruton, Barrie Examiner

Tuesday, July 16, 2013 8:54:14 EDT PM

 

 

 

Is our freshwater glass half full, or half empty

A new study, released Tuesday by the Fraser Institute, generally shows Ontario water quality ranges between excellent and poor.

About 66% of the province’s water is in the good/fair range says the report, citing Environment Canada’s water quality index.

Joel Wood, author of Canadian Environmental Indicators — Water, says the news about Lake Simcoe is also mostly good.

“My review of government reports, when focused on Lake Simcoe, focus on the substantial improvement (decline) in phosphorus levels, and the resulting increase in dissolved oxygen levels,” Wood said.

“These increased oxygen levels are good for coldwater fish,” he added.

“There has also been a decrease in concentrations of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) found in sport fish from Lake Simcoe.”

He noted that while deep-water oxygen concentrations are generally below the target, they are moving in the right directions and the target was first hit in 2005.

Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen come from municipal wastewater or using too much agricultural fertilizer; this can hurt aquatic ecosystems and increase algae, especially the nuisance variety. But phosphorus levels have dropped in most of the Great Lakes.

Environment Canada speculates invasive zebra mussels might be the answer, as they filter total phosphorus and make it more readily available for organisms to consume, Wood says.

But increasing bio-available or dissolved phosphorus concentrations in the Great Lakes also means algae problems are not declining.

Environment Canada says nitrogen levels are increasing in all the Great Lakes.

Wood says Ontario has made great strides in improving its water quality since the 1970s with various bans and regulations.

Pesticides in surface water is one example. In 1986, they were detected in 86% of drinking water samples; by 2006, that number had dropped to 3%.

So, too, have concentrations of PBTs — persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic substances are stable chemicals that last a long time in the environment and accumulate in fish, animals and humans.

PBTs include pesticides, PCBs, mercury and fluoride.

The study also shows that 75% of Ontario lakes affected by acid rain are now recovering. But the water news isn’t all good.

Average concentrations of chloride in Ontario’s streams have increased, likely due to winter road salt used in de-icing — although current chlorine levels are not a pressing water quality concern in this province.

Some pharmaceuticals have been detected in drinking water, but the levels are too small to affect humans. Wood’s report assesses the state of Canada’s water resources.

Canada has the fourth-largest supply of annual renewable freshwater in the world, although the major sources are situated far north of population centres.

While southern water supplies have been declining in recent decades, and Canada has a relatively high per-person consumption rate (only Americans use more), we only use a small fraction — 1.6% — of the water that is annually available.

Canada ranks ninth in the world for water quality, based on parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, phosphorus and nitrogen.

Wood’s report reviews numerous government reports from each province. Water in Canada is owned and managed by governments.

“In many regards, water quality has improved in Canada over time,” Wood writes. “In Ontario, total phosphorous has decreased in the Great Lakes and Lake Simcoe. There has also been a general decline in mercury, PCBs and many other toxic substances in the waters of Ontario and Quebec.”

Canadian Environmental Indicators — Water provides a general overview of Canada’s freshwater resources, how they have changed over time, how Canadians use water and how these measures compare internationally.

Wood is a senior research economist with the centre for Environmental Studies at the Fraser Institute.

Founded in 1974, the Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian research and educational organization with locations through North America and international partners in more than 85 countries.

To see this report in its entirety, go to fraserinstitute.org.