Local water advocacy group loses bid for hybrid event option as region opts for virtual meeting

The president of Citizens for Safe Ground Water has called out the Region of Waterloo for not making an important public meeting accessible in person. Samantha Lernout said many residents don’t have reliable internet in the affected areas. Contributed photo

By Lee Griffi

“We want to provide an important update regarding the region's upcoming public workshop for the Groundwater Interference Complaints Policy.”

That’s how an email sent from Samantha Lernout, president of Citizens for Safe Ground Water (CSGW), began late Tuesday afternoon. The decision to not have both in-person and online options falls under the jurisdiction of staff at the Region of Waterloo.

“Despite our strong advocacy and repeated requests for a hybrid format, the region has decided to move forward with a virtual-only event,” she said.

The Region of Waterloo is reviewing its Groundwater Interference Complaints Policy and the meeting is part of the review process which focuses on how concerns are assessed, how decisions are made and what happens when interference is identified. Recent concerns raised by residents, particularly in rural areas, have highlighted the need for a process that is more transparent, independent and resident-centered.

Lernout said there are many advantages to holding a meeting of this importance in person and while she understands it may be an uncomfortable situation for staff, she believes it would help build trust.

“Having a back-and-forth conversation with a resident face-to-face would advance the situation for residents. Having a one-way where the region controls the narrative and the script is not going to cut it for residents and won’t help build that trust back up. This isn’t doing it right for the residents who are impacted.”

She added the region is getting a lot of pressure from the development community, something she feels is taking the attention away from the problems facing some Wilmot residents.

“But the bottom line is you can’t be building this growth on unsustainable (water) pumping. They need to take a step back and not look ahead to the next few months, but into the future. They can’t be unloading all the risk onto private well owners and that’s what it feels like at this point in time.”

The online only meeting was held via Zoom yesterday (Wednesday, June 24) from 6-8 p.m. The Gazette will have full coverage in next week’s paper.

“We are deeply discouraged by this decision. We know that a number of our neighbors have limited or no internet access, meaning they will be locked out of this vital conversation. A hybrid option would have provided an accessible, collaborative process where our voices could truly be heard. Frankly, a collaborative approach is what's needed to make us feel like valued residents of this region,” she added.

When asked why the region won’t offer a hybrid version, Lernout couldn’t offer a reason.

“That’s a good question. I know it has been brought to their attention that with our community, virtual is not really an accessible option for many people. We have made it very clear this is not an accessible option for many residents.”

The Gazette reached out to the Region of Waterloo for comment on Tuesday but did not hear back by press time. The decision on what type of public meetings are held by the region are left up to staff, not members of council.

Lernout said while the group continues to push back on the format, it needs to keep up the pressure by documenting every single water issue.

“If you notice a sudden drop in water pressure, sand, sediment, or your well running dry, please report it to the region immediately. First, call the region's 24/7 hotline, 519-575-4400, and say you would like to report a well interference complaint and ask for a reference number. Ask for emergency water.”

CSGW is also recommending anyone experiencing water issues email the region’s hydrologist, Supriya Singh, at ssingh@regionofwaterloo.ca with a formal well interference complaint and CC wilmotgroundwater@gmail.com and all regional councillors at regionalcouncilall@regionofwaterloo.ca.

The Gazette reached out to Wilmot Mayor Natasha Salonen, who said she was disappointed the region chose the online-only outreach in a written statement.

“I am glad the region is engaging the public on the well interference policy update, but I am disappointed the public meeting is virtual only. In rural Wilmot, internet access is not always reliable or universal, and that creates a real barrier for some residents. I raised this directly with regional staff and asked whether a hybrid option could be considered. The region has chosen to proceed virtually, but I continue to believe a hybrid meeting would have better supported accessibility and public confidence.”

The region has also not followed through on a survey it claimed would go live on June 23 at www.engagewr.ca/groundwater-interference-complaints-policy-update. As of press time, it was not available. The region recently delivered paper copies of another survey in Wilmot, something that is not happening in this case.