Hamilton Hamilton Water Watch is urging City Council to follow a staff recommendation to resume public operation of the citys water and wastewater systems, following media reports of the plan to bring the systems back in house.
It seems the City had to learn the hard way, but were thrilled with the report that operation of Hamiltons water and wastewater systems will be coming back in-house, says Grant Ranalli, Chair of Hamilton Water Watch. Not only will it be a better financial deal for the people of Hamilton, but the return of public control and accountability will allow us to work on improving quality, public safety and better environmental standards.
Hamilton Water Watch is a coalition of faith, environmental and labour groups. The group called for the return of the Citys water and waste water systems to direct City operation when City Council began to consider its options at the end of American Water Services contract later this year. Carolyn Sinclair, a member of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, explains, We believe that water is a public trust and basic human necessity that cant be left to the whims of market forces.
Ranalli says he still plans to make a presentation to the September 13 meeting of the Public Works and Environment Committee. We will keep pointing out that Hamiltons experiment with private water delivery has been a disaster of corporate turnovers, raw sewage spills and malfunctioning equipment. We wont know what Council plans to do until we see the actual vote.
Hamilton Water Watch will continue to monitor the quality of Hamiltons water and the standards of effluent coming out of the wastewater plants. The group will propose to Council that a citizens advisory committee be established to work with the water and wastewater division and council in the future.
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For more information call:
Grant Ranalli
Chair of Hamilton Water Watch
(905) 525-9009
Carolyn Sinclair
Member of Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace
(905) 523-1602