Casselman Mayor Genevieve Lajoie is holding one-on-one meetings with residents of the Town of the Casselman, seeking their input on how to solve the water issues impacting the town.
Last summer, manganese levels in the municipal water supply rose to such high levels that the water turned yellow, orange or brown, prompting an advisory that it not be used for mixing babies’ formula. At the time Lajoie, the Ontario Clean Water Agency and the Eastern Ontario Health Unit said manganese occurs naturally, but its presence in the river’s water is aggravated by low water flows and little rainfall.
The issue is less pronounced in the winter, but with concerns about a dry summer approaching, the town needs to decide whether to go with a new treatment system, which is a pilot project this year, or to look for a long-term solution.
In an interview with CJRO, Lajoie described the situation and some of the options the town is considering.
