About WATER with Environmental Engineer Wesley Meertens
THE IMPOSSIBLE HAS ALREADY HAPPENED:
World Water Day –
A Conversation about Water
with Environmental Engineer Wesley Meertens
Wesley Meertens and Andrea Valentine-Lewis Photo: MascallDance
Wesley Meertens
(he/him/his) is a recent graduate of Concordia University with an MSc in Environmental Engineering, currently a junior engineer working in the municipal engineering field. He enjoys long walks with his puppy, is a self-designated coffee snob (on a budget), and cannot wait for awkward conversations at the bar. His research interests and work-life intersect when he imposes environmentally friendly options in a budget driven field.
Andrea: I understand that your master’s research at Concordia University looked at wastewater treatment, particularly at different, non-traditional, and novel methods of treatment. Can you tell us a bit about the benefits of exploring these different treatments?
Wes: My research looked at electrochemical wastewater treatment which is an alternative solution to using chemicals like chlorine and ozone. By putting a charge on a piece of iron within the wastewater, we are able to treat it to the same level as chlorine and ozone can. It's not more cost-effective than big wastewater treatment in a municipality; but, you know, there's a lot of mobility there: for example, more rural mining communities or northern communities may not have the resources to make the infrastructure for a treatment facility, but if they are able to produce power, then they would be able to, to some measure, treat the water without having to ship chemicals.
water treatment plant photo: Unsplash
A: I was reading an article about the harmful effects of chlorine in the water, especially in Indigenous communities. Chlorination is suspected to cause skin conditions like itchy rashes and sores. Why would the government allow chlorination even after knowing its negative effects?
W: Chlorine is a disinfection agent, so you're able to use chlorine to address different concerns like E. coli, different viruses, and organics. Chlorine is also pretty affordable. You can easily ship chlorine and a drop chlorine tablet into the water and you’re good to go. However, one potential risk of using Chlorine is when people don't measure the residual chlorine level, like how much chlorine remains in the water after treatment. The largest issue is disinfection by-products. For example, chlorine removes diseases and organics from the water, and H2O, CO2, maybe some organic material, but it also creates disinfection by-products, such has chloroform, which are in some cases more toxic than what you’re treating in the first place.
A: Okay, so that’s pretty heavy.
W: You know, I feel as if there are a lot of reasons why these smaller communities including Indigenous communities don’t have access to clean water and I want to amplify the voices that have lived and experienced this like Aimée Craft and Arlene Nakogee, and others.
What I think I can give is some things that are not the reasons these communities are without water:
1. These communities do not have access to clean water and it’s not because they don’t know how to clean water. There are wastewater treatment facilities all over the world.
2. Another reason is not because of a lack of resources. The government of Canada recently spent a quarter of a billion dollars for income subsidies for Telus, Bell, and Rogers, proving that they have the funds to provide clean water across the country.
In short, I think the reasons extend into less technical domains that I am much less equipped to speak about. But what I can clearly say is that we know how to treat water and there is money to treat water for these smaller communities.
A: From what you’re saying, it sounds like the government has the solutions and are actively choosing not to implement them, which is devastating. Is there anything that us individuals can do to make a difference?
W: While I do believe there are few optimistic environmental professionals out there, I think there are a lot of things that could be done on an individual level that are important for a variety of reasons. You know, I had a professor who once told me the two most important things you can do to save the environmental is to not have kids and to become a vegan, which I think is a kind of utilitarian view, but it probably has some truth in it.
But to me, personally, I think people underestimate their spending power. Where people choose to put their money has a much greater impact than people think. People look at the cost of Amazon products being slightly lower, but they don’t necessarily look at the environmental cost. These goods are cheaper because they’re produced in a different country that has lower environmental regulations, and then they’ve been freighted either by ship or plane to a distribution center producing these petroleum products, etc. etc. The products may be 10 bucks cheaper than buying the one locally sourced, but that's probably because the people who live local have [relatively] decent living wages.
As individuals we can look into fast fashion and the environmental impacts of purchasing crated goods rather than good made locally. It’s a massive difference. It takes some research, but it’s something we can all apply to our lives as we make daily, weekly, and monthly purchases.
Another thing to keep in mind is to hold the industries and governments you support accountable. Domestic water usage only accounts for 15% of the total water usage in Canada, but we have been accustomed to think about what the individual can do to save water. Why don’t we hold the agricultural or industrial practices that consume 5x more water and produce 5x more wastewater more accountable for these environmental issues?
A: Thank you, Wes, for your thoughts and your contributions to alternative wastewater treatment research. I am saddened to hear that while the government has both the money and the resources to bring clean drinking water to the entirety of Canada they actively choose to leave communities without clean water; however, it brings me some hope that we have people like you working to bring some dynamic solutions for the day when/if the government’s priorities shift.
Local and ethical clothing (Vancouver):
1. Nettle’s Tale (swimwear and apparel) – 330 W Cordova Street
2. Obakki (apparel, home, skincare, gifts) – 202-261 E Pender Street
3. Charlie & Lee (apparel, accessories, home goods) – curbside pickup offered at 33 Acres Brewing Co. – 15 W 8th Avenue
4. Hunter & Hare Consignment – 227 Union Street & 225 Lonsdale Ave
5. Front & Company Consignment – 3772 Main Street
Links to Articles:
1. Bradford, Lori E. A., Lalita Bharadwaj, Udoka Okpalauwaekwe and Cheryl L. Walder. “Drinking water quality in Indigenous communities in Canada and health outcomes: a scoping review,” International Journal of Circumpolar Health 75, no. 1 (2016): 1-16. https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v75.32336.
2. Burns-Pieper, Annie. “Bad Water Sickens First Nations. But Government Doesn’t Track the Toll. The Tyee. Published on Feb 22, 2021. Accessed on March 15, 2021. https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/02/22/Bad-Water-Sickens-First-Nations-Government-Track-Toll/.
Links to Organizations:
1. True North Aid: Water Project: Serving and supporting northern Indigenous communities in Canada.
2. Art For Aid Project: Supports First Nations, Inuit, and Métis art educations programs by sourcing quality art supplies to communities.
3. Legacy of Hope Foundation: Educating and creating awareness around the Residential School System including intergenerational impacts.
4. Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC): Enhancing, promoting, and fostering the social, economic, cultural, and political well-bring of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women.
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