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Pollutants flowing into the Ottawa River are threatening the safety of the drinking water source of a million residents.
The watershed is impacted by multiple sources of contamination, including municipal sewage and wastewater, said Ottawa-Centre NDP MP Paul Dewar at a press conference backdropped by the Ottawa River behind Parliament Hill.
There are also nine pulp mills on the banks of the river, which contribute to pollution in the waterway.
Flash floods, like what is predicted for this spring due to the large amount of snow, overburden the current sewage system, causing runoff into the river.
“That can be fixed with appropriate infrastructure investment and we think the federal government has a role to play there,” said Dewar.
As UN World Water Day approaches Saturday, Dewar unveiled an action plan calling for tougher environmental regulations, consistent enforcement of regulations, regular monitoring of ecological indicators and federal oversight of efforts to protect the river.
Dewar was joined by Ottawa Riverkeeper executive director Meredith Brown, who said her organization supports the MP’s action plan. “The river is polluted and there are fish in it that are contaminated that we can’t eat,” she said.
“If we don’t take action now, it’s just going to continue to get worse.”
Ottawa Sun