Professor Mark Servos, Canada Research Chair in Water Quality Protection and professor of Biology, Nandita Basu, professor in the Departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Civil and Environmental Engineering, and post-doctoral fellow, Kim Van Meter, were prominently featured in Kitchener-Waterloo’s local newspaper. The story, which appeared on the front page of The Record on Saturday, December 2, included the expert opinions of these Water Institute members on water quality issues related to the Grand River.
The Grand River flows 300 kilometres through southwestern Ontario from the highlands of Dufferin County to Port Maitland on Lake Erie. It is a haven that attracts thousands of visitors on weekends to places like Elora Gorge and Glen Morris. It's a recognized national heritage river that is home to bald eagles, sandhill cranes, green herons, and prized sport fish such as steelhead and smallmouth bass.
But
the
Grand
River
will
face
a
number
of
serious
challenges
in
the
upcoming
years.
The watershed has a population of approximately one million people, and all leave their mark on the river. Twice a year, the Ancient Mariners canoe club of Cambridge organizes a cleanup of the Grand River. They regularly pull out 75-80 bags of garbage, everything from tangles of fishing line, chunks of Styrofoam, plastic water bottles, old tires and grocery carts.
However, the population pressures on the Grand extend well beyond concerns about litter. More people mean more demands for drinking water, and more toilets flushing, which means more treated sewage eventually making its way into the Grand.
Upgrading wastewater treatments plants
In 2011, the region invested hundreds of millions of dollars in improvements at the Region of Waterloo’s two largest sewage treatment plants in Kitchener Waterloo. The work has already led to dramatic improvements in the health of the Grand River, including a major reduction in the number of intersex fish.
Before
the
upgrades,
the
estrogen
from
birth
control
pills
and
chemicals
that
mimic
natural
hormones
were
making
their
way
into
the
river,
causing
male
rainbow
darter
fish
to
develop
female
traits,
according
to
a study by
Water
Institute
member
Mark
Servos.
Concentrations
were
so
high
that
in
some
areas,
every
male
fish
sampled
in
Servos'
research
showed
some
female
traits.
Immediately
after
the
plants
were
upgraded,
the
proportion
of
intersex
males
dropped
from
100
per
cent
in
some
areas,
to
29
per
cent.
Within
three
years,
it
dropped
below
10
per
cent.
“The major investments in wastewater treatment have led to dramatic improvements in the health of fish in the river,” said Servos.
Nancy Kodousek, director of water services for the Region of Waterloo, predicts even better water quality to come. "We're still only halfway through our treatment upgrades. By 2019 we'll see further improvements.”
Pressures from farmland
Most of the Grand River’s journey is through farmland. As the river flows downstream, manure and fertilizer from farm run-off enter the river, leading to overgrowths of algae, which consume oxygen in the water, killing off fish, plants and other species.
Water
Institute
member,
Nandita
Basu,
and
Kim
Van
Meter,
a
post-doctoral
fellow
in
Waterloo’s
Department
of
Earth
and
Environmental
Sciences,
looked
at
more
than
50
years'
of
data
on
the
Grand
River
and
found
that
better
farming
practices
and
new
crop
varieties
have
led
to
bigger
harvests,
without
increasing
fertilizer
use.
"We are using the same amount of fertilizer, but our crop yields have increased. The fertilizer is being applied more efficiently, so in many areas less is making its way to the streams," Van Meter said.
According to Basu and Van Meter, these improvements, however, can take years, or even decades to translate to better water quality.
Working towards a common goal
"The Grand is a unique place, in terms of the commitment to work together," Basu said, referring to the strong co-operation between so many different groups such as farmers, researchers, several provincial ministries, the conservation authority, and a host of municipalities. "It's one of a kind. I have been in other watersheds in other parts of the world that are more vulnerable than the Grand, and you don't see that level of co-operation."