City Departments
Cambridge WATERS
Cambridge WATERS is a subcommittee of the Cambridge Environmental Advisory Committee (CEAC). Cambridge WATERS Committee is composed of volunteers within business, agriculture, education, government, and citizen organization/interest groups.
Cambridge WATERS purpose is to:
- educate the public on the importance of groundwater
- promote lifestyle changes to help conserve groundwater; and
- encourage participation in community based projects
For ten years, the work of the Cambridge WATERS Committee has been recognized by the Groundwater Foundation when they have designated Cambridge as a Groundwater Guardian community. At present, Cambridge is the only community in Canada designated as a Groundwater Guardian community, joining over 150 American communities. Visit the Groundwater Foundation website
Introduction
Cambridge WATERS is currently the only Groundwater Guardian community in Canada (besides the affiliate member, the Regional Municipality of Waterloo). Since 1997, Cambridge WATERS has undertaken groundwater protection and conservation related activities including the development of educational posters and teaching packages, and participated in public awareness events and wellhead protection implementation plans.
Milestones
December 2007, Cambridge WATERS celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Cambridge Groundwater Guardian Founder, Paul Puodziunas, 1952-2006
December 2007 will mark ten years since the designation of Cambridge (Ontario, Canada) as a Groundwater Guardian Community by the Groundwater Foundation. Paul Puodziunas, a resident of nearby Brantford, and April Souwand, the City's Senior Environmental Planner, were instrumental in the formation of the first Groundwater Guardian committee. The City had been obtaining its water supply from groundwater for more than 100 years and the municipal water supply infrastructure and administration were long established. As a charter member of Groundwater Guardian and its first Chair, Paul recognized the need for improved public awareness about groundwater resources, and worked tirelessly over the next decade on the committee's initiatives to promote education about groundwater in Cambridge. In his own pleasant style, Paul was a willing and vigorous participant in all Groundwater Guardian activities.
Paul graduated with a B. Sc. in Earth Sciences (University of Waterloo) in 1975. Over the next 30 years Paul had an exciting and varied career in the geosciences. He worked in oil and gas exploration including the off-shore, water-resource development in Tanzania, nuclear geological-repository siting in Europe, and in the groundwater consulting industry across Canada. Sadly, on August 29, 2006, Paul lost a struggle with leukemia at the age of 54. He is survived by his parents, Enna and Victor, and his brother Leonard. He leaves many friends, who are saddened by his loss but remember the commitment, vibrancy and smile so prevalent during his active life.
Cambridge Groundwater Facts
The City of Cambridge is situated in the heart of Southern Ontario, Canada, approximately a one hour drive west of Toronto, and a three hour drive northeast of Detroit. The City is a local area municipality within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, the largest urban area dependent upon groundwater in Canada. Cambridge is situated at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers which are important sources of drinking water for a number of communities. Underlying bedrock aquifers supply most of the drinking water to Cambridge (population 130,000) as well as to the other municipalities within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo (which has a total population of approximately 500,000). The City relies on twenty-seven water supply wells up to 60 metres (200 feet) deep. The highest producing wells occur in the heart of the City and these supply almost half of the water used by residents and industries. Many of these wells date back to the 1900's with the first wells being drilled in 1891. Approximately 80% of the water consumption in the City is drawn from groundwater. The remaining 20% comes from the Grand River and is pumped into the Manheim aquifer and mixed with groundwater before distribution. Although this precious resource is relied upon as our source of drinking water, other water uses place a great strain on its availability. However, attitudes towards water usage and conservation have begun to change with the recent water restriction by-laws, educational activities and events, and very successful incentive programs (rainbarrels, high-efficiency toilet replacement programs, among others).
The Big Groundwater Picture
Walkerton is a small town of about 6,000 people that is only a 1.5 hour drive north-west of Cambridge. And like Cambridge it too is dependent on groundwater as its source of drinking water. In May 2000, several serious flaws in Walkerton's municipal drinking water system resulted in seven deaths and more than 2,300 cases of waterborne disease affecting almost half the residents of the town. As a result of that tragedy a public inquiry identified the need for government actions and planning that focused on "source water protection" at the watershed / regional level in the Province of Ontario. Cambridge WATERS has created displays and information materials, in partnership with the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and looks forward to greater involvement in other source water protection efforts.
The Future of Cambridge WATERS?
As Dave Smyth, long-time Cambridge WATERS member, remarked in noting the longevity of the group, "our mandate has not run dry." Whereas single-issue advocacy groups, or task forces, disband at the end of their mandate, Cambridge WATERS has stayed the course, and continues to develop new ways to tell the groundwater story. With expected and continued growth within the City, and the new requirements under Provincial source water protection legislation, Cambridge WATERS will likely be busier than ever in the coming years!
Cambridge WATERS Teaching Resources
The following teaching resources are available free of charge from Cambridge WATERS. Please use the online form. to request teaching resources.
- Where Does My Drinking Water Come From and Where Does It Go? -- This is a poster and colouring book exercise aimed at Grade 3 and 4 children that helps them discover the system and occupations behind our drinking water supply. As the Ontario Curriculum changes, so do our teaching resources. A grade 2 version of this package will be available soon.
- Cambridge: A Groundwater Community -- This is a full-colour poster with classroom exercises on the back aimed at Grade 8 children that helps them learn about the groundwater resource and how to protect it.
Cambridge WATERS supports Groundwater Guardian GREEN SITES program
The Groundwater Guardian (GG) Green Site program recognizes good stewards of groundwater by encouraging managers of highly-managed green spaces (golf courses, ball fields, education campuses, parks, etc.) to implement, measure, and document their groundwater-friendly practices related to chemical use, water use, pollution prevention, water quality, and environmental stewardship. To get started, to apply, or to learn more about this program please visit the Groundwater Guardian Green Sites page at _
New members are always welcome. For more information on Cambridge WATERS or to attend one of our monthly meetings, please call 519.740.4650 ext 4559 or email us at willmsp@city.cambridge.on.ca. Our mailing address is: Cambridge Waters c/o Paul Willms, Environmental Planner, City of Cambridge, PO Box 669, 3rd Floor, 50 Dickson Street, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5W8.
For more information about the Region of Waterloo's Community Involvement and Awareness groundwater programs (such as the Waterloo Wellington Children's Water Festival, Business and Rural Groundwater programs, videos, games, studies, reports, teachers resources and posters) click here
For more information on water conservation, rain barrels, Greenbrook water conservation demonstration gardens, toilet replacement program, and other Region water testing, monitoring, water restriction by-law information, please click here
Source water protection planning is currently underway at the Region of Waterloo and Grand River Conservation Authority (Lake Erie Source Protection Region). For more information please click on the following links:
Region of Waterloo
Lake Erie Source Protection Region
Grand River Conservation Authority
Ten Ways to Protect and Conserve Groundwater:
1. Dispose of chemicals properly.
2. Follow the lawn watering restrictions in your community.
3. Limit the amount of fertilizer used on plants.
4. Take short showers.
5. Shut off water while brushing your teeth.
6. Run full loads of dishes and laundry.
7. Check for leaky faucets and have them fixed.
8. Water plants only when necessary and plant drought resistant plants in your garden.
9. Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator.
10. Get involved in water education.
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