A Chatham-Kent woman disappointed in a lack of government action is taking matters into her own hands to help other local residents test their well water for potentially dangerous sediment.
Christine Burke has launched an online GoFundMe campaign in an effort to raise money to cover the costs of well water analysis for families in rural Chatham-Kent.
While the Ministry of Health conducted an All-Hazards Investigation of Well Water in Chatham-Kent in 2019, Burke said the provincial government failed to sample and analyze sediment that has been causing the discoloration and turbidity of well water for years.
A final report released by the province suggests wind turbine construction potentially caused the deterioration of local well water quality. However, the investigation only tested 61 wells near the North Kent 1 wind farm, and excluded residential wells in other affected areas such as Dover Township, where Burke resides with her family.
The final report concluded that there were no widespread health risks identified, but it recommended further assessment and an additional investigation.
The province has yet to commit to further well water testing in Chatham-Kent.
“In the absence of any government action upon the recommendation of the Expert Panel to analyze sediment from well water, our household proceeded to have such work done on a sample taken from our own well,” said Burke on her GoFundMe page.
She said her well water was analyzed at an accredited laboratory, which found particles of clay and silt-sized sediment containing potentially toxic metals including Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Lead and Nickel.
“Those results are especially alarming because we, and other residents, are not able to filter the extremely fine, clay and silt-sized metals-rich particles from our domestic water supplies,” said Burke. “Our concern is that there may be other rural residents drinking, cooking or bathing with well water that might contain similar, potentially toxic sediment. They may also be feeding it to their pets and/or livestock thinking it to be safe.”
According to Burke, the cost of a laboratory water analysis is around $685 USD per sample, plus the additional expense of having an accredited hydrogeologist retrieve the water samples.
Burke said hopes the GoFundMe campaign can help offset the cost for other local residents facing the same issues with their well water.
“It is urgent that more households carry out the type of analyses we recently completed in order to make informed decisions on the quality of their domestic water supply,” she said.
As of Wednesday, the campaign had raised nearly $8,000 of its $12,000 goal
For more information about the GoFundMe fundraiser or to donate, click here.
