Should Hamilton test for polluted soil atop all of its drinking water reservoirs?
Hamilton will soon start removing 20,000 tonnes of contaminated soil found atop the Kenilworth reservoir - but now councillors want to test for similar problems across the city.
A contractor discovered soil laced with benzo(a)pyrene - a coal-burning carcinogen linked to cancer - while digging last year for repairs to the 57-year-old reservoir above the Kenilworth Access that stores drinking water for tens of thousands of Mountain residents.
Tests showed the drinking water in the aging reservoir was safe, but councillors voted to get rid of the soil to avoid future problems. That $6.8-million job, including reservoir repairs, will start soon and end next spring, the city reported Wednesday.
Councillors cheered the news - but some questioned if historical pollution posed a risk to the rest of the city's 11 reservoirs or other drinking water infrastructure.
It does beg the question: how many similar sites are there out there?" asked Coun. Sam Merulla.
Coun. Maureen Wilson noted the city only stumbled across pollution by accident" at the Kenilworth reservoir. Is there a proactive way for us to test those soils in the future?" she asked.
The city routinely tests drinking water quality at its reservoirs, but there is no formal program to test the soil the huge tanks are buried beneath.
The city has 11 other reservoirs in addition to Kenilworth. Many were built in the 1970s or early '80s, but a handful date back to the 1950s and '60s. One, Hillcrest, was originally built in 1931.
Soil testing was done at a Stoney Creek reservoir on Ben Nevis Drive last year as part of a construction project and no industrial pollutants were found. Soil was also replaced around the Hillcrest reservoir in recent years during reconstruction.
Councillors supported a motion from Wilson and Merulla Wednesday to ask staff to report back on the feasibility of proactive" soil testing around other infrastructure related to drinking water.
Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com