Editor:
White Rock will not resolve its drinking-water problems by buying water from the Coquitlam, Seymour, and Capilano reservoir authorities.
Although such water is chlorinated against bacteria and giardia, treated for corrosion, and infused with soda ash and lime to increase its pH level, it is far from pure.
As well, GVRD water has naturally occurring contaminants, including lead, copper, arsenic, asbestos, and radioactive matter. Yet there are no contaminants from household and farm pesticides because the reservoirs are up in the North Shore mountains. Our pesticides, which are only partly broken down in the soil, run into the ocean – and into the White Rock aquifer.
Since many local politicians want to turn White Rock and South Surrey into Hong Kong – minus the mountains and a railway-free beachfront – there are increasing threats to our water and to the White Rock aquifer. A group of citizens have been lobbying for a complete ban on cosmetic pesticide use, but politicians have been ducking from the issue and ignoring the effect on the aquifer.
In 1957, White Rock broke away from Surrey. What it needs to do now is break away from environmentally insensitive politicians.
Jim McMurtry, Surrey