Updated: Vaughan resident wants ministry involved after drinking water audit findings

Mayor Bevilacqua: ‘This report is a plan of action to ensure Vaughan’s drinking water continues to be safe’

Yorkregion.com
June 17, 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.

Mayor: ‘Water is safe’

In response to the earlier version of the online article, Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said, “I want to thank Kevin Shapiro” for the report. “This report is a plan of action to ensure Vaughan’s drinking water continues to be safe.”

Since becoming mayor, Bevilacque said he was “determined to ensure that openness, transparency and accountability are cornerstones” in Vaughan, adding “This includes strengthening the office of the internal auditor, so that this important position has greater autonomy to do its work.”

With MECP inspecting the City’s water system “at least once annually and prepares an inspection report identifying any non-compliances and actions required to correct them,” Bevilacqua emphasized, “The City of Vaughan’s drinking water continues to be safe.”

“In accordance with the applicable legislation and regulations, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, the City of Vaughan is committed to providing safe drinking water, effective wastewater collection and efficient stormwater management for a healthy and sustainable community.”

Lorello also shared an email in response to Jennifer Moulton 

Jennifer Moulton, a duty officer at the Ministry, whose Vaughan Distribution System 2019/2020 inspection was assigned to her, told Lorello, “I have reviewed the internal audit report that you provided and I did not identify issues of non-compliance with respect to Provincial legislation that we enforce.”

“There are a few items in the report that we would consider best management practices but these are not legal requirements.”

But Lorello objected, saying “Further to the audit the report recounts that in 2017 the 18 recommendations of an external auditor, except for 1, were all but ignored and to date have not been implemented. You will find this in section 7 of the report.”

He even continued lambasting the Ministry itself. “It appears that the MECP's annual inspection is not sufficient.”