Vaughan resident wants ministry involved after drinking water audit findings

Richard Lorello says ‘trust has been broken’

Yorkregion.com
June 14, 2019
Dina Al-Shibeeb

After the City of Vaughan’s June 4 audit report on its drinking water, Richard Lorello wants to involve the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks as “third party" after what he described as “broken trust.”

“I and many other residents are very concerned about the findings in the audit and I am concerned that the findings are not being taken seriously based on the responses from Members of Council and City Staff at last week's Council meeting,” Lorello wrote in an email to Loralyn Wild, water inspector at the Ajax office of the ministry.

“This is not the first time that Vaughan has been cited for water violations,” Lorello, a longtime city hall critic who ran for a regional council seat in the 2018 election, continued. “In 2002 / 2003 Vaughan was fined for not testing the water system in the Kleinburg area.”

On June 4, the auditor Kevin Shapiro didn’t conclude that the drinking water was hazardous or dangerous, but he did dub the city’s approach to managing its water supply “lackadaisical.”

However, the report gave the city up to three months to develop and implement a specific plan to guarantee health and safety of residents and up to six months to come up with a plan to divert any negative impact which could result in service disruption to residents and businesses.

The report also urged the city to start acting but “no later than 36 months” or else “inaction could result in a reduction in service quality, efficiency, and effectiveness.”

‘Broken trust’

Lorello believes “trust has been broken with our water safety” between the city and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, which he hopes to be “rebuilt.”

“It is for these reasons that I am requesting MECP (ministry) involvement to act as third-party verification,” he said.

“I will also be sending the audit report to the Ministry of the Solicitor General who administers the Fire Protection and Prevention Act.”

In the email, Lorello said there are 32 issues identified that require “corrective action.”

Out of these 32 issues, four are considered “urgent.”

The report also calls “ineffective project management” and “contract administration” as being the “root cause of the many issues outlined.”

Vaughan’s Environment Services department is responsible for providing water, wastewater and stormwater services to more than 335,000 residences and more than 11,900 business.