June
25, 2002
Pollution Probe releases new primer on safe drinking water
Information-packed
booklet released at key global conference in
Hamilton
Hamilton, ON - Pollution Probe today
released The Drinking Water Primer –
its new booklet about a topic of rising public concern.
The Primer,
available at http://www.pollutionprobe.org/Publications/Index.htm
and in print, addresses common questions about clean, safe supplies of
drinking water. It was released at the Managing
Shared Waters conference, a gathering of international experts and
policymakers being held June 23-28 in Hamilton, Ontario.
Among the water facts found in the 77-page report:
- Less
than 1 per cent of all water on Earth is available for use as drinking
water
- More
than one billion people do not have access to safe water
- Canada
alone has up to 15 per cent of the world’s fresh water supply
- Every
day, Ontario residents withdraw 1.25 trillion
litres from surface water and groundwater sources, and our use is
growing 50 per cent faster than our population growth – faster than
the water can be replenished by Nature
“Safe drinking water is a major environmental concern in
Canada and the rest of the world,” said Dr. Joseph MacInnis, Physician,
Author,
Marine Conservationist,
and National Chair, TD Friends of the Environment, who launched the Primer
at the conference. “For 30 years Pollution Probe has been bringing
this critical issue to our attention. Their
new Primer on drinking water is another example of their outstanding
leadership.”
“The Walkerton and North Battleford tragedies sent shock
waves across Canada,” said Rick Findlay, Water Programme Director,
Pollution Probe. “The Primer
is part of Pollution Probe’s Water Program. We want to help Canadians
understand where their fresh water comes from - how it is treated and
distributed, and where they can go if they want more information.”
Managing Shared Waters conference
Managing Shared Waters, organized by Pollution Probe in
partnership with United Nations University International Network on Water,
Environment and Health (UNU/INWEH) and the Coastal Zone Canada Association,
will be held at the Hamilton Convention Centre (Hamilton, Ontario) from June
23–28. The event brings
together 400 policy makers, scientists, business, non-governmental
organizations and indigenous peoples from around the world to share
experiences and solutions in managing shared waters, with a special focus on
the Great Lakes.
About Pollution Probe
Pollution Probe has worked to protect
Canada’s environment for more than 30 years. Founded by University of
Toronto students in 1969, Pollution Probe has grown into a national
organization with more than 7,000 donors. It has a history of engaging other
stakeholders to work together to address issues related to water, air,
climate change and indoor environments.
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For more information please contact:
Loreli
Buenaventura/Stephanie Bell
416-504-8464
416-668-2839/416-937-4912
Rick Findlay, Pollution Probe
613.237.8666
