NEW: SEE THE CANDIDATE REPORT CARD
Guelph candidates for Mayor and City Council were asked about their support for groundwater protection. Check the report card to see how they did.
OUR GROUNDWATER IS UNDER THREAT
The upcoming municipal election is an important opportunity to protect ground-water(1) in the Grand River watershed. You can help to protect our groundwater by urging candidates to endorse the Grand Agenda for Groundwater Action.
Most communities in the Grand River watershed rely almost exclusively on groundwater for drinking water. Groundwater is a finite resource. NASA data show how over-extraction and climate change are depleting major groundwater reserves around the planet.(2) Other studies show "Less than 6% of groundwater is replenished within 50 years".(3)
Major threats to water supply and water quality in the Grand River watershed include:
- a growing demand for groundwater is creating new challenges for long-term aquifer sustainability—especially in the context of climate change, and is creating a “new normal” of more frequent and prolonged drought and floods;
- industrial pollution contaminating soil and water;
- and the destruction of critical moraines, wetlands and other essential natural features by excessive development and aggregate mining
A threat to groundwater in one part of the Grand River watershed is a threat to all who rely upon it for water.
- The lack of access to safe drinking water in Indigenous communities is unacceptable.(4)
- It is urgent that municipal governments take every possible action within their authority to protect our groundwater. Many of those measures are listed in the Grand Agenda for Groundwater Action.
- Our municipal governments must also become strong and vocal supporters of actions by provincial and federal governments which protect groundwater.
- Groundwater is defined here to include the volume of water in the Grand River Watershed that is found underground in the aquifer and in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rock.
- See Washington Post https://wapo.st/2MT28Kv
- See Nature Geoscience, https://bit.ly/2wehCis
- See CBC news https://bit.ly/2PMULmy
LET'S MAKE IT A LOCAL ELECTION ISSUE
Let’s work hard together to elect municipal governments which will protect our groundwater. You can take action now by contacting candidates and urging them to endorse the Grand Agenda for Groundwater Action.
DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THESE RESOURCES
Use these resources to learn about the risks to our groundwater across the Grand River watershed and urgent actions municipal governments should take NOW to safeguard the water supply.
Guelph residents: Challenge your local candidates to support bold actions to mitigate specific threats to groundwater in the Guelph area. The documents below present the list of actions in a single sheet version, and in a folded leaflet version.
