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Vancouver Water

• Workshops Answer Questions about Monitoring Radioactivity from Fukushima.

  Monday, November 26th, 2012

  The immediate question on everyone’s mind regarding radioactivity is “have my water (and air) been affected by fallout from Fukushima?” The workshop on Nov 19, 2012 was about ‘Local Monitoring of Radioactivity in Relation to the Fukushima Daichii Incident’. The presenter of this workshop, Rudy Pante, is a nuclear chemist and also the water chemist in charge of testing Metro Vancouver’s drinking water. His opinions, expressed in his workshops, are his own and do not reflect those of Metro Vancouver. When asked if there is current cause for alarm about elevated radionuclide levels in our Metro Vancouver drinking water, his informed response was a definitive NO, that the levels are currently very, very low.

  The next question, on the minds of those who are paying attention to the ongoing instability at Fukushima, is “what precautions are in place to monitor our local radionuclide levels in the event of a major destabilization at Fukushima or even the Hanford nuclear plant in Washington State?” Unfortunately, the position of Health Canada and local officials is complacent.

  Rudy Pante’s workshops are an attempt to shed some light on this topic of radionuclides and nuclear fallout. These workshops are not about risk levels. They are about understanding radioactivity and how to correctly detect and measure it.

  The next workshop is entitled:
  INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICAL GAMMA-RAY SPECTROMETRY
  Monday Dec 3, 2012
  9:00-11:00 AM

  BCIT Burnaby Campus
  3700 Willingdon Ave
  Room 141, SE14 (Library)
  Burnaby, BC
  (best approached from Wayburne Drive)

  For registration and details contact:
  rudyplaza51@yahoo.com

  Posted in News & Initiatives, The Future of Water, Vancouver Water, Water and Health

• Preparing for the BIG ONE: water you waiting for?

  Thursday, November 15th, 2012
  

  map from EMBC Earthquake Info page

  British Columbia’s current earthquakes are wake-up calls. The Cascadia Subduction Zone is clearly adjusting itself. Daily aftershocks continue to rattle the west coast of BC.
  These seismic events may be precursors to Vancouver’s long expected ‘Big One’.
  Are you prepared?

  If you haven’t got an emergency kit prepared yet, this is the time to get it together.

  Store emergency water
  A major earthquake could damage municipal water supply lines, making tap water unavailable and/or vulnerable to contamination through ruptured pipes.

  Hurricane Sandy has shown us how devastating a ‘natural’ disaster can be. Don’t take adequate water supplies for granted.

  If you store ample water in advance you’ve already greatly increased your family’s ability to respond to an earthquake.

  How much water to store
  At very least, you should store one gallon per person per day for three days. Extra if you have pets. A three-week supply is preferable.

  Water storage containers for an emergency
  Look for sturdy, re-usable one- to five-gallon plastic containers made of number 2, 4 or 5 plastic. Yes, plastic for portability. Glass is too heavy for emergency use. Best not to rely on one or two gallon containers typically found in grocery store as they aren’t designed for long-term storage.

  Home owners may be well advised to also store water in large food-grade plastic drums.

  Sanitation and six month replacement schedule
  Make sure the containers are sanitized before filling them with chlorinated tap water. Yes, chlorinated.   Hopefully you will never have to use this water but if you do, better that it be sterile than bacteria-ridden. Make yourself a reminder to replace the water in these containers every six months.

  Alternate emergency water sources
  Water from the following sources should be disinfected if needed for drinking in emergency conditions. Berkey water purifiers will disinfect water from these last-resort sources as well as making it taste better.

  • Hot water tank
    Turn off the power that heats it, and let the tank cool. Then place a container underneath and open the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Don’t turn the tank on again until water services are restored.
  • Toilet tank
    The water in the tank (not the bowl) can be used to drink in an emergency unless chemical treatments have been added.
  • Water pipes
    Release air pressure into the plumbing system by turning on the highest faucet in the house. Then drain the water from the lowest faucet.
  • Outside the home
    Rain water, spring water, and water from streams, river, lakes, and coiled garden hoses can be used after it is disinfected.

  Emergency water purification methods
  Here are four methods to disinfect questionable water in emergency situations:

  • Berkey water purifier – gravity filter requires no electricity.
  • LifeStraw – portable water filter.
  • Aquatabs – add prescribed number of pre-packaged water purification tablets to water. Wait 30 minutes.
  • Liquid chlorine bleach (unscented) – add eight drops per gallon of water. Double this amount if the water is cloudy.
  • Two percent tincture of iodine – add twelve drops per gallon of water. Double this amount if the water is cloudy.
  • Boil the water vigorously for 10 minutes.

  Local natural sources of fresh water
  Vancouver has paved over all but three of its many creeks and streams. This is very unfortunate for many reasons, one of which would be devastatingly clear in the event of a water shortage.
  Take note if you are lucky enough to live near a natural source of fresh water… a creek, stream, river or lake. Protect and respect this invaluable living resource. It could be your life-saving source of fresh water in the event of an earthquake.

  Note 1: If emergency use water is very murky, it is best to strain it through several layers of cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter before applying one of the above treatments.

  Note 2: Most drinking water filters are meant to be used with municipally treated (disinfected), microbiologically safe tap water only. They do not remove bacteria and will not protect you adequately in an emergency situation.

  Posted in Vancouver Water, Water and Health, Water Treatment Guide

• Salmon Spawn in City Creek: First Time Back in 80 Years

  Thursday, November 15th, 2012
  

  Spawning salmon return to Still Creek in Vancouver

  Word is spreading this week (Nov 15, 2012) that, for the first time in 70 – 80 years, spawning salmon have been spotted frolicking in one of Vancouver’s only three remaining creeks.

  How wonderful that the salmon are returning, and that we humans are now moved by this kind of news! Our values and actions are definitely shifting to support the natural environment which sustains us.

  Still Creek, which flows from Burnaby to Vancouver, was once the most polluted waterway in British Columbia. Due to extensive efforts by many concerned groups and individuals, this precious waterway has been cleaned up and is slowly coming back to life.

  Spawning Chum salmon have been seen in Still Creek beside the Cornett Rd/Natal St intersection in Vancouver this week.

  Much credit is due to the tireless work of Mark Angelo and the Rivers Institute at BCIT, true champions of fish habitats and the wild fresh waterways of British Columbia.

  Some other groups working on stream daylighting and creek restoration in Metro Vancouver are…

  http://www.falsecreekwatershed.org/

  http://www.mappingwaters.seecechen.org/

  http://www.bchydro.com/guides_tips/green_your_community/community_initiatives/uncover_your_streams.html

  http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/restoring-streams.aspx

  http://seatoskygreenguide.ca/infrastructure/thain_creek_daylighting

  http://seatoskygreenguide.ca/infrastructure/spanish_bank_creek_daylighting

  http://www.raincoastappliedecology.ca/ecodesign.html

   

   

  Posted in News & Initiatives, The Future of Water, Vancouver Water

• Hidden Streams of Vancouver

  Thursday, November 15th, 2012
  

  Vancouver’s Hidden Streams. The blue lines indicate small urban streams hidden under the Vancouver’s developed landscape. Source: Har¬ris (1987).

  We discovered the map (above) in this paper:
  AN EXPLORATION OF STREAM DAYLIGHTING AND URBAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT
  by Caitlin Sinclair

  Some groups working on stream daylighting and creek restoration in Metro Vancouver are…
  http://commons.bcit.ca/riversinstitute/

  http://www.falsecreekwatershed.org/

  http://www.mappingwaters.seecechen.org/

  http://www.bchydro.com/guides_tips/green_your_community/community_initiatives/uncover_your_streams.html

  http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/restoring-streams.aspx

  http://seatoskygreenguide.ca/infrastructure/thain_creek_daylighting

  http://seatoskygreenguide.ca/infrastructure/spanish_bank_creek_daylighting

  http://www.raincoastappliedecology.ca/ecodesign.html

  Posted in The Future of Water, Vancouver Water

• Vancouver Workshop: Local Monitoring of Radioactivity from Fukushima

  Tuesday, November 6th, 2012

  This workshop (Nov 19) promises to be a unique opportunity for getting answers to lingering questions and concerns about the possible effects of radiation from Fukushima on Metro Vancouver’s water supply.

  The initiative for this event comes from one individual named Rudy Pante, who is the water quality chemist responsible for testing contaminant levels in Metro Vancouver’s drinking water.

  Rudy Pante is an accredited expert* in radiological monitoring whose professional career has involved international experience at various nuclear power plants. He will deliver this workshop which may include informed and insightful comments on hot topics such as:

  • Have the long-lived radioisotopes from Fukushima (such as Cs-137, Co-60) been detected in B.C.and on the west coast of North America?
  • Have they been detected in drinking water sources in 2011 & 2012?
  • If they have been detected, why have major media and government regulators been silent about them?
  • Why are there different isotope regulatory limits in USA, Canada, & Europe?

  Although parts of this workshop will undoubtedly be quite technical, it will also cater to those of us who are bewildered by nuclear isotopes and radiological calculations. Rudy is a wealth of expertise with a strong social conscience. He says: ‘The more questions from attendees that I can answer, the “happier” I will be.’ However, he also adds that his opinions are his own and do not reflect those of Metro Vancouver.

  Date
  19 November 2012
  10am – 12 noon

  Location
  BCIT Burnaby Campus
  3700 Willingdon Ave
  Room 141, SE14 (Library)
  Burnaby, BC

  Registration
  rudyplaza51@yahoo.com

  Cost
  $25

  Methods of payment
  Cheque payable to: Plaza & Pante Consultants
  15062  60 Ave
  Surrey BC, V3S 5X6
  PayPal: Rudy Pante
  e-pay RBC Royal Bank: Rudy will send number upon email inquiry

   

  *Rudy Pante’s current position:
  Water Quality Chemist, Water Quality Control Section-Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant & Coquitlam Ozonation Plant
  Credentials: BS Chemistry & MS Chemistry-University of the Philippines-Diliman
  Previous Work Experience:
  Kelogg, Brown & Root
  PNPP1 (Philippine Nuclear Power Plant)
  PAEC (Philippine Atomic Energy Commission)
  Trainings:
  Westinghouse Advanced Reactor Centre, PA
  Indian Point-3 Nuclear Power Plant, NY
  CEGB (Central Electricity Generating Board), UK
  Instructor: EOCP (Environmental Operators Certification Program)

   

  Posted in News & Initiatives, The Future of Water, Vancouver Water, Water and Health

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