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The optimal conditions for an aquitard is a fiveâ€" to 10â€"metre layer of brown till covering a thick layer of grey clay. The thicker the better, said Cherry. Cherry, who has worked on other municipal projects like the City of Winnipeg‘s landfill and will be offering his expertise at an upcomâ€" ing conference in China, said the two most important factors in determining the ability of an aquitard from keeping contaminants out of the groundwater is the quality of the clay till and the depth of the till cap. At those depths, and with the quality of till in place, In addition to concerned citizens, members of the region‘s planning and water safety staff were on hand to receive information and answer questions, as was Waterloo Coun. Mark Whaâ€" ley, who was the only memâ€" ber of local council to vote against the plan when it was approved in July. But he did raise a numâ€" ber of important questions concerned citizens might want to ask planning offiâ€" cials before the Region of Waterloo gives its final approval for the project on Sept. 27. And while Prof. John Cherry of the University of Waterloo said a certain amount of caution is necesâ€" sary when dealing with an aquitard, like the one coverâ€" ing the portion of the Waterâ€" loo moraine under developâ€" ment pressure, he didn‘t specifically offer his opinion about the proposed subdiviâ€" sion plan that could add up to 1,600 new homes. n _ internationally A;enuwned expert on lay till caps and hydrogeology met with members of Citizens for the Protection of the Waterloo Moraine last Thursday to address their concerns about a new subdivision plan proposed for the west side of Waterloo. Hydrology expert warns of possible problems with westâ€"side development plans By Bos VrBanac Chronicle Staff Cherry said fractures and fissures are always an issue on even the most intact site. No matter how many bore holes are dug and tests run, it should be assumed that they are always present, he added. The weatherproofing chemical has an incredible migration factor once it seeps into soil, and has the potential to cause havoc if it enters the water system. But Don Corbett, a hydrogeologist with the Region of Waterloo, said most of the creosote is attached to bigger roof parâ€" ticles that comes off roofs. Members of CPWM are also concerned about the creosote associated with roof shingles. *The fear is shaving the till cap will expose some of the recharge areas on the site to contaminants, and cause fissures and fractures that will also let more manâ€"made materials seep down to the groundwater. Once the groundwater is contaminated the process to clean it is both costly and time consuming as the region is finding out with the Greenbrook well field. They argue the plan goes against what the Ontario Municipal Board originally approved for the site, which called for working with the existing topography. nature itself is able to sepaâ€" rate most contaminants before they can get into the groundwater. CPWM members are concerned the new subdiviâ€" sion plan calls for the shavâ€" ing off of some of the existâ€" ing till cap on the properties that abut the Wilmot Line. "Mother Nature does a good job..." â€" Don Corbett Region of Waterloo CITY NEWS "There‘s a robustness that‘s inherent in the system which allows for a small reduction in recharge in cerâ€" tain areas, which is then balâ€" anced by a surplus of recharge in other areas of the water shed," said Corâ€" bett. "In this area there is lots of good recharge that we are getting through the ESPA areas, all the woodlots and some of those other feaâ€" tures." If anything, residential development is seen as havâ€" The region doesn‘t seem to be overly concerned with the impact the new subdiviâ€" sion may have on the qualiâ€" ty and quantity of the local water supply. "Basically everywhere we‘re recommending that the local municipalities look at alternate deâ€"icers and look at ways to manage that issue," said Corbett. "They seem to be meeting those targets and, according to their numbers, in some cases even exceeding them." The region has set a goal of reducing the amount of road salt applied by 20 per cent, and is on track to meet that target. It‘s also suggestâ€" ed that Waterloo and other municipalities look at alterâ€" natives to road salting durâ€" ing the winter months. "They‘li be lining the boulevards with compacted clay till to help mitigate the effects of road salt," he said. Cherry said a lot of the fear of contamination can be mitigated by compacting the clay till that‘s removed and using it again on site. It could also help put a cap on the amount of road salt that seems to be entering the local water supply. Corbett said that‘s part of the subdivision plan. The contaminant will be naturally filtered out by the clay till before it ever reachâ€" es the aquifer. "Mother Nature does a good job of preventing that particulate matter from getâ€" ting down into the aquifers," he said. Continued on page 5 Renowned author Edna Staebler died Sept. 12 after suffering a stroke three days earlier. She was 100 years old. Staebler, who lived in Waterloo, is perhaps best known for her cookbook series Food That Really Schmecks, which introduced readers to the often unexplored subject of Mennonite cuisine. Changing to a 12â€" month payment plan "is intended as a customer service initiative in order to provide a more convenâ€" ient and manageable payâ€" ment option," said the staff report to countcil. The report also said similar 12â€"month plans Wa(erloo city council unanimously passed a motion allowing resiâ€" dents to pay their taxes over 12 months, on Monâ€" day night. This preâ€"authorized payment plan will replace a 1996 council decision permitting taxpayers to pay their property tax bills over a 10â€"month period. Taxes to be paid over 12 months By Jenntrer Ormston For The Chronicle Author left a lasting legacy Taxpayers must submit a written request and a void cheque at least 35 days prior to the next payâ€" "Everybody budgets monthly. It won‘t make a significant difference on« their budgets, but every litâ€" tle bit helps." This plan will essentialâ€" ly run the same as the 10â€" month one does, the report said. Coun. Gary Kieswetter said in an interview he has been approached by many residents asking why they can‘t pay their taxes on a monthly basis. "It‘s easier for families to budget," he said. have been successful in other _ municipalities, where they have been popâ€" ular among residents. Although the report said this plan will be more convenient and manageâ€" able for taxpayers, it will come at a cost of about $51,000 in lost interest revâ€" enues to the city. Council approved this plan without discussion. If these charges aren‘t paid by the next month‘s installment, the taxpayer may be forced out of the program. And there is no fee to join this plan. There are conseâ€" quences â€" such as paying a penalty or interest â€" for those who don‘t pay their monthly _ installment, though. ment date, which can either be the first or 15th day of the month. Karin Barthel * Saies Representative in Kâ€"W For Over 15 Years 885â€"0200 NaDYNE ESSON PHOTO