Municipal Monitor - March/April 2008 - (Page 11)

ing an adequate amount of revenue to cover water costs. According to a 2004 CELA report, funding cutbacks, amalgamations and poor planning have combined to lead to “serious under-financing of drinking water systems in the province.” “Some municipalities appear to have planned well for infrastructure renewal and future capital costs, while other municipalities may not have adequately addressed their fiscal needs,” the report states. “In order to keep rates low or to attract development, some municipalities have not set water rates high enough to cover the costs of maintaining their drinking water systems. Similarly, some municipalities have attempted to delay or defer capital costs of long-term infrastructure replacement or upgrades.” “In Walkerton, for example, many distribution pipes had not been replaced for years and were, in some instances, almost completely blocked from inadequate flushing. In other cases, municipalities have used the surplus revenue from water rates to finance other municipal projects or services, rather than keeping an adequate reserve fund.” Both the SWSSA and the Safe Drinking Water Acts became legislation in 2002 in the wake of the Walkerton Inquiry. Justice Dennis O’Connor, who oversaw the inquiry, made several recommendations to increase the safety and security of Ontario’s drinking water. “Municipalities need to ensure that their water systems are adequately financed,” he wrote in his report following the Walkerton Inquiry. “Over March/April 2008 “When you’re sitting with inventory put in place 80 years ago, you really have to do an evaluation of how things are going to work over the next 80 years.” AccessPrivacy.ca co-authoured by Priscilla Platt and Adam Kardash of Heenan Blaikie LLP the long term, safety depends on stable and adequate financing to maintain the water system’s infrastructure and its operational capacity to supply high-quality water consistently. Without adequate resources, corners will inevitably be cut, whether in the day-to-day operation of the facility, or in its long-term capital infrastructure. Ultimately, safety will be jeopardized. It is unclear, the extent to which municipalities are currently providing adequate resources to support their water systems. The assumption here is that not all municipalities are providing adequate resources.” The SWSSA was passed to regulate not only drinking water but sewage systems as well. It’s an obvious fit, explains Bhardwaj, given that drinking water is often taken from the same source – albeit at different locations – into which treated sewage is typically dumped. And, of course, that sewage is eventually taken in as drinking water for the next municipality downstream. However, Bhardwaj explains that regulations under SWSSA – particularly those regarding sewage systems – remain a work in progress. There are consultants on the job and a report on their progress is expected sometime in 2008. However, beyond that there is no timetable for any new regulations to be introduced anytime soon. ◆ Your one-stop electronic guide to Ontario's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) “The website, together with the communiqués that are issued concerning recent developments, are invaluable tools that I would strongly recommend to access and privacy professionals.” Senior In-house Legal Counsel Subscribe now! www.accessprivacy.ca or contact us for your free trial View a webinar highlighting the state-of-the-art searches of both the guide and the IPC website at accessprivacy.ca/webinar 337026_Heenan.indd 1 municipal MONITOR •1:39:19 PM 7/5/07 11

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Municipal Monitor - March/April 2008

Municipal Monitor - March/April 2008 Contents President's Message: Stress and Change Viewpoint: Much Ado About Nothing? Covering the Cost: Tapping into Safe, Sustainable Water and Sewage Services Closed Session Investigations: What Do They Mean for Your Municipality? Subtle Sabotage: Female Bullying Trends in the Workplace Water Under the Bridge Municipal Memos Index to Advertisers

Municipal Monitor - March/April 2008

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