Water Systems
As of June 1, 2021 all water treatment facilities are operated by the Township. The Township is responsible for all monitoring, quality assurance, quality control, reporting, inspection, collection, distribution and maintenance of the systems.
Municipal Drinking Water Systems
The Public Works Department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all municipal drinking water systems including the water distribution systems and water meters.
Annual Drinking Water Summary Reports
The Township monitors the water quality weekly across the Milverton and Shakespeare Drinking Water Systems. Annual reports are completed each year summarizing annual operations.
Milverton Drinking Water System
- Milverton Drinking Water System 2024 Annual Report
- Milverton Drinking Water System 2023 Annual Report
- Milverton Drinking Water System 2022 Annual Report
Shakespeare Drinking Water System
- Shakespeare Drinking Water System 2024 Annual Report
- Shakespeare Drinking Water System 2023 Annual Report
- Shakespeare Drinking Water System 2022 Annual Report
Drinking Water Quality Management System (DWQMS)
The Township of Perth East is committed to ensuring a safe, consistent supply of clean drinking water while adhering to all applicable legislative and regulatory requirements. We strive to achieve these goals through the implementation of a Quality Management System (QMS) comprised of policies, operating procedures, instructions and forms which incorporate risk-based assessments, staff competency, and workplace safety. The Township of Perth East has established a QMS Policy to which it is committed to adhering to within the established Operational Plan.
Watermain Flushing Program
Flushing of watermains is a necessary maintenance procedure that helps to clean out mineral deposits and sediment that have built up over time.
Please see our Watermain Flushing Information Sheet for details of the process.
My water is discoloured, what should I do?
As noted above, throughout the year, the Public Works Department will conduct watermain flushing. If you notice that your water is starting to discolour, you should discontinue use, wait approximately one hour, and then allow a cold water tap (closest to your water meter) to run until the water returns to its normal appearance.
If this is occurring after business hours, please phone the After Hours Pager 226-767-0636.
Arsenic
On January 1, 2018, the limit for arsenic in the Ontario Drinking Water Standards was lowered from 0.025mg/L to 0.010 mg/L. The limit is based on the risk from lifetime exposure to arsenic. The limit of 0.010 mg/L for arsenic brings Ontario in-line with Health Canada and the World Health Organization.
Shakespeare Water EA Open House Information
The Township of Perth East initiated a Class Environmental Assessment process in January 2022 to identify a preferred method and location to provide treatment facilities to address background arsenic levels in the municipal water supply. A number of alternatives have now been identified and the Township is seeking input from residents to assist Council with selecting a preferred approach.
A Public Open House was held to present details of the Class EA investigation to residents of Shakespeare and obtain feedback on the alternatives.
Representatives from the Township and the Project Engineers were in attendance.
For further information on this project, please contact the project engineers: BM Ross and Associates Ltd. 62 North Street, Goderich, Ontario N7A 2T4. Telephone: 519-524-2641 attention Kelly Vader, Environmental Planner kvader@bmross.net
To view the presentation please follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJGeAxTJK1U
Screening Report - Municipal Class Environment Assessment
The Township initiated a Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) in March of 2020 to evaluate the potential impacts associated with required upgrades to the existing municipal well supply servicing the community of Shakespeare. B.M. Ross and Associates was engaged to conduct the investigation on behalf of the Township.
The following report is to document the Class EA and planning and design process followed for this project and includes the following major components.
- Overview of the general project area
- Summary of the infrastructure deficiencies associated with the project area
- Description of the alternative solutions considered to resolve the identified problems
- Synopsis of the decision-making process conducted to select a preferred alternative
- Detailed description of the preferred alternative.
Township of Perth East Municipal Class Environmental Assessment for Upgrades to the Shakespeare Well Supply Screening Report – Part 2 and Appendices
What is arsenic?
Arsenic is a natural occurring element found widely in the earth’s crust and trace amounts can be found in food, soil, air and water.
How does arsenic get into drinking water?
Arsenic can enter drinking water through the ground or as runoff into surface water sources. When arsenic-containing minerals break down or erode, arsenic can enter lakes, rivers, and ground water. Because of these natural processes, trace amounts of arsenic can be found in some drinking water supplies, including wells.
What are the health effects of arsenic?
Arsenic is considered to be a cancer-causing agent according to Health Canada. Studies have shown that consuming drinking water with very high levels of arsenic over a lifetime can increase the risk of cancer in internal organs, such as the bladder, liver and lungs (Health Canada). Arsenic from all sources contributes to 120 cases of cancer per year in Ontario (Cancer Care Ontario/Public Health Ontario). Short-term exposure to very high levels of arsenic can lead to abdominal and muscular pain, diarrhea and vomiting, skin rash and numbness.
However, given the small exceedance of the limit for arsenic in drinking water in Ontario, the Health Unit believes the risk to the health of residents in Perth East is low.
For more information about health effects, visit Health Canada’s web page on arsenic in drinking water.
Is my drinking water safe?
You can continue to use the water for drinking, bathing, and for preparing food as you normally would while the remediation efforts are underway.
I have received a "Water Quality Notice" letter - what happens now?
As stated, you can continue to use the water for drinking, bathing, and for preparing food as you normally would while the remediation efforts are underway.
The Township of Perth East works with Huron Perth Public Health and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to undertake necessary steps to formulate a long-term solution to provide adequate treatment to the water and resolve the situation.
The plan is to explore various options, including treatment, in order to comply with these regulations and to have a solution in place within a suitable timeframe. Huron Perth Public Health will closely monitor the situation. An update will be provided to residents on the progress of the treatment within six months.
I have a private well system in Perth East. How do I test my water for arsenic?
Are there treatment systems that remove arsenic?
There are three treatment systems that remove arsenic.
Please note that the Township of Perth East cannot provide price quotes on these systems, or recommend an installer (water treatment specialist), or a system, make/model over another.
- Reverse Osmosis: Reverse osmosis removal involves filtration of water at a molecular level through a semi-permeable membrane. This method is effective in removing arsenic under the right conditions if testing supports its use.
Advantages- RO is very effective at removing inorganic constituents like arsenic, iron, lead, chromium and manganese. When operated under ideal conditions, RO can remove over 95% of As (V).
- RO requires very little maintenance and no addition of chemicals.
Disadvantages
- Smaller RO point-of-use systems produce only a few gallons of treated water per day. The supply of drinkable water is limited and normally available only in the kitchen area of the home.
- If As (III) is in the drinking water, it needs to be pre-oxidized to As (V) to allow the RO unit to remove it, which will increase the complexity and cost of the system.
- If there are significant amounts of iron or manganese in the water, additional pre-treatment equipment to remove those prior to RO treatment will likely be needed.
- Larger RO systems, called point-of-entry systems, can treat water for the entire house. However, these are much more expensive. More importantly, RO point-of-entry systems can cause corrosion control problems in house plumbing, which can elevate the levels of lead and copper in drinking water.
- Anionic Exchange: Anionic exchange systems exchange ions between a resin bed and chemical elements in the water passing through it. These systems are used to soften water, remove iron and manganese, and lower nitrate and arsenic levels. Specific contaminant removal is determined by the type of resin bed used.
Advantages- Anionic exchange requires little maintenance; additional salt is added every few weeks.
- Systems are typically installed to treat an entire house.
Disadvantages
- Other chemicals in water can compete with arsenic for the resin sites reducing the systems effectiveness. The US EPA recommends the influent water have less than 500 mg/L of total dissolved solids (TDS) and less than 25 mg/L of sulfate.
- Treated water can have a very low (acidic) pH and high levels of chloride which can cause corrosion control problems and high levels of lead and copper in the treated water.
- If the system fails, all of the arsenic captured on the resin at that time can be released at once causing a large concentration of arsenic in the treated water.
- Iron Oxide: Iron oxide filters are similar to activated carbon filters in that the filter material has a large amount of surface area and a structure that helps arsenic to stick to its surface. Although these filters are fairly new to the home treatment market, the principals behind them have been used by public water suppliers for many years.
Iron oxide media can be housed in small inline filter cartridges (point-of-use) or in larger point of entry tanks. These filters can be used to enhance the performance of reverse osmosis systems that are not effectively removing As (III).
Advantages- They are effective for both As (III) and As (V) removal.
- They can be used as point-of-use or point of- entry systems.
- They remove other inorganic chemicals.
- They are simple to use and install.
- They are disposable as non-hazardous waster
Disadvantages
- The media must be replaced on regular basis.
- The presence of iron, manganese, sulfate, silica or organic carbon can reduce effectiveness.
Where can I get more information?
- For water system questions, call Perth East Public Works at 519-595-2800
- For health-related questions, call Huron Perth Public Health at 1-888-221-2133.
- Health Canada’s web page on Arsenic and Drinking Water
Contact Us
Jake Collings
Manager of Public Works
Township of Perth East
25 Mill Street East
Milverton, Ontario N0K 1M0
T.: 519-595-2800 x234
Toll Free: 1-888-712-0618
F.: 519-595-2801
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