Robin, May 24, 2001

In the second half of the meeting, the moderator invited community members to ask questions and make comments about the technical presentations. Many people also made strong comments about their experiences living without reasonable quantities and quality of the water. These experiences occurred over a period from 30 years to three and one half years. Many of their stories related to their lived experiences of health.

Health can be understood in different ways. A medical model of health defines health as the absence of disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) (1984) defines health as a personal resource that includes social and personal assets as well as physical capacities. It is the extent to which an individual or group is able to fulfill aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment.

1. Claim: The technical reports and the Majority report stressed the fact that the water did or did not pose a danger to residents’ physical health. Their comments about health issues came from a medical description of health.

• Bradley Chief Environmental Health Officer CHR: We had a problem and a high level with our chromium levels. Chromium can be a problem when it combines with chlorine and goes to the trivalent state. This is when a carcinogen is formed. Chromium as it generally occurs in the water system is fine. It is a nutrient. But when we have to chlorinate a water system that’s where we have the potential for some problems.
• No problems with fecal coliform organisms.
• We do not have any problems relating to nitrites or nitrates that would be the influence of man via agriculture, farming, or pesticides, or run off from roads etc. We certainly agree with Mr. Loen’s statement that there are no health concerns indicated for the Senanus Peninsula aquifer from our sampling program.
• There is still a health and safety concern over the quality and quantity of the water in this Senanus Drive area.
• Our main concern in this issue is the promulgation of public health and safety.
• Loen, Loen Hydrogeology: According to the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Safety, there’s no concerns related to health within the parameters we tested.
• There are some aesthetic objectives related to health. Aesthetic objectives is for certain parameters in the water may cause the water to be corrosive, deposit forming or unpalatable. These are given a separate category because they are not a health concern but they are a concern.
• For all the bacteriological results were acceptable. The conclusions were that no heath concerns can be identified from this testing.
• The aesthetic objectives can be treated with in-home treatment systems and previous bacteriological testing likely originates with the home plumbing.
• Michael M, Majority Report: the data has changes from a few months ago when we were being told that there was chemical poisoning going on in Senanus.

2. Claim: Many of the resident statements and the Minority report placed importance on a broader range of health related issues. Their comments about health issues came from the WHO point of view. Based upon the WHO definition of health, the quantity and quality of well water available to residents of Senanus Drive had many adverse effects on their health.

• Rick R, Minority Report: We based our assessment of the degree of problem on Senanus Drive from predominantly testimonial evidence directly from the residents and from information like when they have a party and there are more than 5 flushes they have to wait for the rest of the weekend before they can get water.
• Naught, resident: this is our only chance to talk to this man who has made a report that influences our lives.
• Frank T, resident: asking a question about if the CHR report that stated that "the residents should be advised not to continue to consume the water, or to use it for cooking purposes, or beverage preparation without proper treatment." CHR responds that based upon current testing, they would not issue the same directive.
• Damguard, resident 20 years: My wife and I have spent in excess of $100,000 to supply potable water to our home.
• Well provided water for 2 years and then it changed in taste and quality. Used water for sanitary purposes and outside irrigation. Contracted to have water tanks filled on a regular basis.
• Built a private pipeline and increased the flow but this has made a considerable change to the enjoyment of our house.
• Tallis, resident: I want to talk about the impact on the residents and the costs associated on the water main solution. Ashamed when our elderly have to physically fetch and move heavy loads of water. Ashamed when the first rhyme we teach our children is "If it is brown, flush it down; if it is yellow, wait till it’s mellow." Ashamed when people in our neighbourhood have insufficient water with which to conduct health hygiene. Ashamed when our community would turn out in force to prevent a tree from being cut down but it would ignore the plight of felloe men looking for water.
• CHR said ground water in the Senanus Drive area should not be considered potable. It is not palatable and should not be used for drinking water.
• It is insufficient for fire protection.
• We cannot put a dollar figure on our improved health, the enjoyment of our homes and gardens, reduced fear of forest fire, and the freedomnot to worry about the next drop of water.
• No Name, resident 15 years: Water not potable. We cope by going to the gas station and getting water there. Too expensive to buy. The stuff stains our clothes. There’s not enough to do things like grow gardens. We don’t have any grass. My wife has I think 6 flower pots and sprinkles water on them and sometimes the plants die because of lack of water.
• Talked about two incidents where fire burned a house and where a car accident resulted in a fire that could not be put out because the hydro was knocked out and they couldn’t get water without hydro. Fire hazard is a big thing.
• Mike B, resident/contractor 3 _ years: We purchased the property 3 _ years ago fully realizing that there was a water problem but not until you actually live under these conditions does one realize what am amazing impact this problem has on your life. We couldn’t have flowers or plants (spent $4000 on landscaping). Water is so corrosive that it actually burns the plants.
• Showers, bath, dishwashing, laundry etc. have to be spaced out so that we don’t run out of water. If we run the water for 7 or 8 minutes we run dry for 20 minutes.
• Fire is a major concern. I have 4 fire extinguishers. Hose running for 6 or 7 minutes is no comfort. Nearest fire hydrant is about 2 miles away.
• Trying our best to save what remaining trees we have.
• Quality is worse than quantity. Had to replace a water tank that was new when we moved in. After a few months the dishwasher looks like it is 20 years old. Plumbing fixtures take a serious beating. Can’t keep anything clean with such hard, corrosive water. Replaced my main bathroom about 6 months ago and in my 20 years of being a contractor I’ve never seen such disgusting pipes and valves as what came out of my house.
• We had MB Labs test our house. We were over the acceptable limit of arsenic. 5 times the acceptable level of zinc, plus other problems. Commented from report. Even small amounts of lead can contribute to learning disabilities in children. These are not comforting thoughts as you step into the shower, wash your dishes, or brush your teeth. Out water kills plants and plumbing fixtures, ad MB Labs says this is not fit for human consumption. If I sound bitter well I am not. I am just very disappointed and concerned.----I love the area, the people, the shopping and everything else about Central Saanich bit I hate the water. It’s driving me crazy. It absolutely disrupts your life. It does. It’s our God given right to have clean air and water.
• Jones, resident 30 years: water ok at first. Water is so full of iron that a filter clogs in a matter of days. All are supplied with water, a very essential thing taken for granted by most people. I don’t think anyone who has lived with the shortage of water plus the worry of getting it polluted really knows what it is like. Describes her daily experience of living without adequate water. P.25. And then there is always the thought of fire especially at this time of year.
• Clarence B, resident Mount Newton: whatever the solution, there has to b a solution that takes into account the varying needs of the people along the way.
• Karen naught, resident: Chromium issue plus staining—can’t drink or use the water for any purpose, for gardening because it destroys everything.
• It leaves a scale on your skin and it turns out that chromium could be carcinogenic. Catch-22 situation—can’t chlorinate it . Its got bacteria in it, so what do I do? I can’t use the water for bathing and feel safe, safe and clean as well. Our water has high manganese and the CRD says that this creates biofouling of all the intakes and creates a nuisance. It creates that black precipitate. There’s dangerous levels of sodium and that creates great health problems for some people. Calcium causes encrustation of pipes and you have all heard how we spend a great deal of money replacing pipes and pumps. So there was a high biological activity in the water source . The hardness causes excessive soap consumption and scale deposits on pipes and fixtures which in turn encouraged the build up of biofilm and regrowth in pipes. PH is very high and pH encourages scale formation and decreases the efficiency of chlorine in disinfecting the water which we can’t use anyway because of the high level of chromium.
• You can’t drink or bathe in the water, feel clean and safe, stains household laundry, can’t water our plants, can’t grow a proper garden, our insurance costs are 20-50% higher. We have constant replacement of pipes and pumps. We can’t clean anything in the house properly, everything streaks.
• Armiston, resident Mount Newton: in favour because wants peace of mind to have enough water.
• Gordon D, resident 30 years—contractor: Lots of personal costs. Has own reservoir and treatment system.