Province now looking into why water of some Puslinch homes smells

PUSLINCH – The water coming from private wells in Puslinch still smells and residents have exhausted their options trying to find the source of the odour. Now they are waiting for the big guns to be called in. But they say communication has been lacking.

Susan Fielding has been dealing with the smell from her taps for a couple weeks. She lives on Fielding Lane south of the 401. She tested her well water and sent it to Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) and it came back positive for E. coli and coliform, and so did her neighbours’ water. She thinks it might be connected to the odour but she doesn't know for sure.

She and others have stopped drinking the water. Fielding said some are even hesitant to take showers because our skin gets itchy.

She said the smell of the odour is more prominent than before and when she washes her hands they feel oily from the water.

Fielding has contacted the Puslinch mayor, WDGPH and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).

“We have no idea what the next steps are or what the remedial action is,” said Fielding. “We’ve got to get to the bottom of this.”

MECP is looking into potential sources as to what may be causing the odour, said an email to GuelphToday from MECP media spokesperson Gary Wheeler. 

MECP staff are scheduled to inspect the area today. Once the inspection is complete depending on the results water samples may need to be collected to determine the source of the odour.

“I'm hoping that prompts them to become much more vigilant in what they're doing,” she said.

Fielding has been told the MECP has been taking this seriously, “but as far as their communication, it’s lacking horribly,” she said.

More in-depth tests were done by a well specialist hired and paid for by local water bottling firm BlueTriton. The tests came back with high levels of nitrogen, nitrate and potassium.

The water also had high levels of chloride and sodium. Fielding said Morriston is around the 500 level for sodium because of the road salt. Fielding’s water is at 900.

The results raise more questions than provide answers, said Fielding.

“We feel we have done our due diligence in reporting this, making public bodies aware of it,” said Fielding. “We need government support and help."

Matthew Carrine lives on Highway 6. He and his family have stopped drinking the water, brushing their teeth with it, washing their hands, and showering in the water. He drives 20 minutes to Guelph to use the shower at his sister’s home.

A neighbour of Carrine’s who also lives on Highway 6 has a ditch near the driveway. Carrine said the ditch has dead vegetation in it. He said it smells like the water coming through the taps. 

“It’s like a rotted broccoli, very pungent, really gets you by the nostrils smell,” said Carrine.

He doesn’t think it is the source of the contamination but it could be connected.

He has contacted government bodies from every level of government and has yet to get much of a response.

Carrine isn’t concerned with pointing the finger at anyone. “We just want clean water, we just want to be taken seriously,” he said.

“In an ideal world the cavalry will show up and start at the epicentre and move out and find out where this is coming from and come and test everybody's water,” said Carrine.