Swim Drink Fish Blog
Read the latest updates and news releases about community science, water monitoring, Artists for Water, and more.
Coronavirus detection: sample city sewage to help diagnose its presence and plan for preparedness
Why guess where the coronavirus is and how many people might be infected if we can use our wastewater systems to give us the facts?
Right now our communities, public policy experts, emergency services and planners want to know where and how far the coronavirus is spreading. Could we be sampling wastewater in our sewage systems to get that information?
A Citizen’s Guide to the Wastewater Data Published on the Open Government Portal
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has taken a tremendous step towards public transparency concerning sewage pollution in Canada. The release of the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulation is key to inspiring change like the restoration of waters impacted by sewage pollution, and infrastructure upgrades in cities with combined sewer systems.
Whatever happened to Toronto sewage alerts?
In August 2015, Waterkeeper announced that Toronto residents would soon receive alerts when wet weather sends sewage and stormwater into Lake Ontario. It’s now May 2017. It rained hard last week. Bacteria in the Toronto Harbour spiked. So what's happening? When can you expect to see those wet weather alerts?
Need a Source? Waterkeeper can help you cover raw sewage, untreated wastewater and Canadian waters
A recent CBC News report indicated that “more than 205-billion litres of raw sewage and untreated waste water spewed into Canada's rivers and oceans last year.” If you are a reporter covering environment, infrastructure, or municipal issues, then the dumping of untreated wastewater will be of interest to your readers. So use us as a source of information and contact us!
Results are in: Reporting on Toronto Harbour’s water quality and sewage pollution
Yesterday, Waterkeeper's VP Krystyn Tully presented our much-anticipated Toronto Harbour Report to a room filled with boaters, paddlers, surfers, swimmers, and water lovers from around the city. Attendees watched as all of our findings were revealed in our video report, which will be published online in December. In case you weren't able to attend, here is a sneak peek.
Environmental Commissioner reports: It’s time for Toronto to notify the public of sewage discharges
Earlier this week, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario released her annual report and agreed with Waterkeeper and the MOECC: The City of Toronto should give the public immediate notifications when sewage is released into waterways. But it's been over a year since the MOECC made this decision. What is it going to take? Mark weighs in.
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and Swim Guide sign on to Public Notification for CSOs in the Great Lakes
On September 23, 2016, Waterkeepers of the Great Lakes Region, including Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and Swim Guide, signed onto comments for the “Public Notification for Combined Sewer Overflows in the Great Lakes."
$1.1 billion towards Ontario’s infrastructure and a stronger Swim Drink Fish community
Last week, the Ontario and Canadian governments announced that $1.1 billion will be invested into infrastructure upgrades across the province. Since a lot of Waterkeeper's focus has been on wastewater and water quality, it's no surprise that Mark wanted to share his thoughts on this big announcement.
Triclosan: An antibacterial threatening germs and the Great Lakes
Found to be toxic, synthetic chemical triclosan is used in toothpaste, skin cleansers, moisturizers, hand soaps, detergents, cookware, and furniture to name a few. But without a way to filter triclosan out of effluent, triclosan is washing into lakes, rivers, groundwater, and other waterways.
Accidental Parkland: An ode to Toronto’s hidden beauties
One of the best ways to protect a natural space that you love is to show off its beauty to those around you. Get others to experience it. Share it with your family and your friends – especially those who have never experienced it before. That’s exactly what filmmaker Dan Berman set out to do for Toronto's waters with his new film, Accidental Parkland.