CHATHAM-KENT — Ontario’s government has requested the province’s chief medical officer of health look into the well water in Chatham-Kent.
MPP Monte McNaughton (PC–Lambton-Kent-Middlesex) told Queen’s Park on Oct. 16 that his government had asked Dr. David Williams to look into reports of cloudy well water full of black sediment in the area. Said McNaughton: “We are committed to getting to the bottom of this issue.”
A community organization, Water Wells First, reported black particulate in residents’ water, and the group has squarely blamed area wind farms, claiming they have disturbed the black shale that lies deep underground.
Chatham-Kent Officer of Health David Colby has said that not only is there no evidence that the pile driving to put up the wind turbines caused anyone’s water to go bad, there aren’t that many people whose water was affected.
Testing of 179 local wells in 2017, after 16 complaints to the environment ministry, showed only two wells that failed a water quality test. Said Colby: “That is not consistent with contamination of the aquifer.”
A ministry report suggested that over-pumping or damaged wells were likely the problem and that there is more vibration from nearby water pumps than from wind turbines.
