Lavington contaminated waters

[crysmom]

Antwerp Springs well is located right beside HWY 6 at School road behind the Lavington family restaurant

[stubblejumper]

100 plus head of cattle, or so I am told are run on the "suspect" source of contamination. As I was told, cattle crap about 4 lbs per day. As I am not in the farming industry but was raised on a farm some of what I am saying is presumptuous. The crap and urine is hosed out of the barn and I presume into a catch tank of some sort. When the catch tank is full the waste is then disposed of by spraying it into the air out the back of a tank, this I have witnessed being done. Because of the smell that was in the air down by the school on Tuesday afternoon I am presuming the effluent (crap) was spayed on Tuesday. We had nice warm spring weather during the day and then Wednesday afternoon/evening a lot of rain. The effluent (crap) washed off of the frozen field and right down to the water source/well.

Publically the officials will not tell you that this is the source of the contamination, the investigation is ongoing. Unofficially I was told by two different people that yes that is what is in the well and it is quite obvious where it came from. I was even told that if I was to go to the well I could follow the signs to the source myself.

[RR24K]

As one who grew-up on a dairy farm from time the fields are harvested in fall until they made ready for planting in spring farmer spread manure. Depending on the size of the farm (that amount of the herd) will depend how long this takes. Our farm was far enough away from Shuswap River no chance contamination.


Not blaming anyone here, but who would put a well on low ground. Everything ends up at the bottom of a funnel, the good,bad and very ugly. Bad place for a well.

[stubblejumper]

[quote="roadrunner24k"]As one who grew-up on a dairy farm from time the fields are harvested in fall until they made ready for planting in spring farmer spread manure. Depending on the size of the farm (that amount of the herd) will depend how long this takes. Our farm was far enough away from Shuswap River no chance contamination.


Not blaming anyone here, but who would put a well on low ground. Everything ends up at the bottom of a funnel, the good,bad and very ugly. Bad place for a well.[/quote]


I am not sure how long the well has been there but it is a very long time. I think it is more a case of a bad place to give a permit to spray crap along with some bad conditions that occurred. I am pretty sure that would not be allowed this close to any other water source in the district and am unsure as to why a permit to spray would be given this close to the well. I suppose because it is a ground water system and not a surface water source.

[RR24K]

I am not sure how long the well has been their but it is a very long time. I think it is more a case of a bad place to give a permit to spray crap along with some bad conditions that occurred. I am pretty sure that would not be allowed this close to any other water source in the district and am unsure as to why a permit to spray would be given this close to the well. I suppose because it is a ground water system and not a surface water source.

Interesting "rkcooper" so when did farmers need permits to spread manure on their land.

[Fritzthecat]

I am not sure how long the well has been their but it is a very long time. I think it is more a case of a bad place to give a permit to spray crap along with some bad conditions that occurred. I am pretty sure that would not be allowed this close to any other water source in the district and am unsure as to why a permit to spray would be given this close to the well. I suppose because it is a ground water system and not a surface water source.

Interesting "rkcooper" so when did farmers need permits to spread manure on their land.

You've got understand roadrunner, these city people move up here and think farms are really like how Richard Scarry draws them in his childrens books.

[intheknow]

I am not sure how long the well has been their but it is a very long time. I think it is more a case of a bad place to give a permit to spray crap along with some bad conditions that occurred. I am pretty sure that would not be allowed this close to any other water source in the district and am unsure as to why a permit to spray would be given this close to the well. I suppose because it is a ground water system and not a surface water source.

Interesting "rkcooper" so when did farmers need permits to spread manure on their land.

well If they dont they sure should need one!!!Thats rather evident considering how much damage and harm this one deal has caused???

[Fritzthecat]

I am not sure how long the well has been their but it is a very long time. I think it is more a case of a bad place to give a permit to spray crap along with some bad conditions that occurred. I am pretty sure that would not be allowed this close to any other water source in the district and am unsure as to why a permit to spray would be given this close to the well. I suppose because it is a ground water system and not a surface water source.

Interesting "rkcooper" so when did farmers need permits to spread manure on their land.

well If they dont they sure should need one!!!Thats rather evident considering how much damage and harm this one deal has caused???

Yes, the farmer, doing the same thing he's done for years and years, was negligent because he didn't check his crystal ball to see the weather forecast.

Gotcha!

You haven't spent much time around farms, have you?

[crysmom]

Well if this farmer was trying to fertilize his fields then it seems a little odd to spray all over the ice?

ON the other hand I think the well should have had some type lid or cap that shouldn't have allowed the run off to get in the opening.

[wthwyt]

Well if this farmer was trying to fertilize his fields then it seems a little odd to spray all over the ice?

I'm only guessing here but your not a farmer are you.

[Fritzthecat]

Well if this farmer was trying to fertilize his fields then it seems a little odd to spray all over the ice?

ON the other hand I think the well should have had some type lid or cap that shouldn't have allowed the run off to get in the opening.

Run off is not supposed to happen until spring.


Next time, we'll get all the Lavington farmers to contact you and you can give exact, detailed weather reports about the future with your crystal ball.

[gardengirl]

I am not sure how long the well has been their but it is a very long time. I think it is more a case of a bad place to give a permit to spray crap along with some bad conditions that occurred. I am pretty sure that would not be allowed this close to any other water source in the district and am unsure as to why a permit to spray would be given this close to the well. I suppose because it is a ground water system and not a surface water source.

Interesting "rkcooper" so when did farmers need permits to spread manure on their land.

I wondered that as well. Last I heard, manure was not a pesticide.
I don't remember it being "sprayed" either, spread, yes but not sprayed.

[wthwyt]

As I see it some people should not move out into country. Please stay in your cities. Most years nothing happens farmer spread his/hers farms manure and nature takes care of the rest. For those who do not like the fragrance, you should check human waste after it been sitting around for while Wow. Now that stinks.

[crysmom]

As I see it some people should not move out into country. Please stay in your cities. Most years nothing happens farmer spread his/hers farms manure and nature takes care of the rest. For those who do not like the fragrance, you should check human waste after it been sitting around for while Wow. Now that stinks.

I"m a little confused by your comments even people who own farms in Lavington had contaminated water. Are you saying we should all move into a city because our water was contaminated by manure? My opinion is that the city should have had more safeguards in place to protect the well, or perhaps way back in the day when they installed the well, I don't think it should have been place in a farm field, just seems to be an accident waiting to happen. But honestly the water quality up in the okanagan is poor all around its just that e coli can kill or make people very sick.

[wthwyt]

As I see it some people should not move out into country. Please stay in your cities. Most years nothing happens farmer spread his/hers farms manure and nature takes care of the rest. For those who do not like the fragrance, you should check human waste after it been sitting around for while Wow. Now that stinks.

I"m a little confused by your comments even people who own farms in Lavington had contaminated water. Are you saying we should all move into a city because our water was contaminated by manure? My opinion is that the city should have had more safeguards in place to protect the well, or perhaps way back in the day when they installed the well, I don't think it should have been place in a farm field, just seems to be an accident waiting to happen. But honestly the water quality up in the okanagan is poor all around its just that e coli can kill or make people very sick.

Sorry, did not know that farms did not have their own water supply. The farm I grew-up we had our own water supply which was safe. That sucks. I agree they should re-think about location of the well.
It's funny organic farms need to be X distance from non-organic, but drinking water well can be within few feet of something that could/will contaminate it.