The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

A8 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday July 12, 2000 Region's $29-million plan would improve water quality By Irene Gentle SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Summer time. The living is easy, but an increase in algae production means iuke-based tap water can start to stink. ** To address the problem, Halton staff are eyeing a bold and costly plan to ·revitalize lake water by pumping it up with ozone. If approved, the $29-million plan would disinfect lake water while elimi n atin g taste and odour problems that have plagued residents for years. . Ozone is considered to be 80 times !more effective as a disinfectant than !chlorine, and contains a filter aid and smell, taste and colour reducing agents. "You'd be getting the equivalent of the best of bottled water available from tap," said H alton's Planning irector Pat Murphy. But it would come to residents at the st o f a 6% -- and maybe higher -- ke in the annual water bill. K In total, Halton households using !300 cubic metres of water could shell ;out about $27.50 annually. , That cost is equivalent to buying "bottled water for two months, said Murphy. Halton's planning and public works committee voted Wednesday to permit staff to draw up a preliminary ozonated water system design. But the entire project doesn't have a green light. Council can choose to scrap it by refusing to fund its implementa tion at budget time. According to Halton staff, ozone is the only technology that can prevent both health and aesthetic water prob lems while cutting down on the need for chlorine. Burlington Councillor Mike Wallace wasn't convinced. "I don't think there was a tremen dous amount of concern about the qual ity. The chlorine has proven to be effec tive," he said. "If it wasn't for Walkerton, to be blunt, I don't know if we'd be rushing to spend the capital dollars of $29 million instead of a cou ple million. This is sellable now." Other options should remain on the table, said Wallace. `Taste and odour certainly is a right and an expectation, but this isn't a lifethreatening situation," he said. "And the difference is significant in costs." But Halton CAO Brent Marshall insisted this plan to refresh local water has been waiting in the wings for some time. `T his isn't a scare tactic. This isn't about Walkerton. It's being proactive," he said. Ozonation is widely used in Europe, and there are more than 300 ozonated water plants in the United States. In Ontario, both Windsor and Waterloo have added ozone to their sys tems. Currently, Halton's water falls with in the boundaries of Provincial health guidelines. It's safe. But last year, the Region received 290 phone calls complaining about the smell and taste of lake-based tap water. Drought-like conditions, which low ered lake water levels, is partly to blame. That allowed for heftier sunlight penetration into the water, contributing to an increase in harmless, but aestheti cally foul, algae. Ozonation tackles the problem with a three-pronged, or multiple barrier, treatment. That entails an initial sedimentation barrier, followed by a filtration barrier and a disinfectant barrier. The project found favour in Burlington Councillor Joan Lougheed. `T o me, there is no choice," she said. "The only choice is the ozonation, and I think we have to respond to that." The Region is being forward-think ing in addressing problems before they happen, agreed Oakville Councillor Stephen Sparling. "This is a vision, sort of the Lincoln of services," he said. If the design is approved and a bud get allocated for the project, ozonated water could begin pouring from taps as early as 2002. Though currently running on well water, lake water will be piped into Milton to service new growth as early as October. Bike by moonlight at Mountsberg 1 This summer, ^Mountsberg ^ C o n s e rv a tio n I Area, in conjunc tion with Spokes V Slopes, will '· offer a variety of 1biking events suitI ed to the novice · rider. | On the nights p f Sun. July 16th fcnd Mon. Aug. 14th, from 9 p.m. ! to 11 p.m., bicyJ clists will have the · opportunity to do ` something differ e n t by strapping 1 on a helmet and a 2light to explore | the bike trails by J moonlight on the j Guided Moonlit | Night Ride. Call · Mountsberg for ! tickets at 905! 1854-2276. J · Every Tuesday | (between 11 a.m. J and noon, the DIRECT WAREHOUSE SPA/HOTTUB SALE I 3 % & A6 · Spokes `n' Slopes · "Staff will host a i Seniors' Ride. 1 Each session | includes an equipJ ment check, warm ; up, and guided · iride. Bring a hel· jnet and a litterless ! lunch - there will . be a picnic in the ; park after the ride. | Register by call· ing Spokes `n' · Slopes at 905! 876-7676. 1*1 Bike Clinic & J d^ide Sessions will >Ibe offered on four · separate occa· sions. On July I I2th; July 19th & ! 26th; August 2nd I & 9th; or August ; 16th & 23rd · between 6 and 8 · p.m., learn more I about your bike, ! equipment and \ riding skills. The !-staff from Spokes 1 `n' Slopes will · teach these handsbn sessions. Call ! Mountsberg for tickets. ; l M o u n ts b e r g ' features 16 kilo· metres of rolling trails for biking. ! J Mountsberg is · located on | M illburough [ Line, 5-km west of Campbellville i between Hwy. 6 Iphd Guelph Line. C o n serv atio n 'Sjalton also offers ;piking at Kelso ;5nd Halton Hills J J o n s e rv a tio n ir&reas. Call for )i$ore information * ^ id trail maps, : 2905-336-1158. on Value Options Worth$ WUp To OVER 1 MILLION DOLLAR INVENTORY! Free H e p D v c f tand Where QEW CARTIER WAREHOUSE LOCATION AVAILABLE ONLY AT VVhen Friday, July 14, am - pm Oakville 2362 Wyecroft Rd between Bronte Road and Third Line 2362 W Y E C R O F T RD. 10 6 BEACHCOMBER s i n c e Saturday, July 15, 10am - 5pm Sunday, July 16, am - pm 1978 10 5 847-8551 www.cartiercanada.com Qcrnie dkmie, and Relax, uutk Gadiex