We place our trust in authorities for many things, and when this trust is breached, we demand answers. Such was the case in Walkerton, Ontario, in May 2000. Starting May 15 of that year, many residents of the town of about 5000 began to simultaneously experience gastrointestinal problems and symptoms of E. coli infection. Following this, the Walkerton Public Utilities Commission insisted the water supply was safe in spite of being in possession of laboratory tests that had found it was contaminated. Later that month, an increase in the number of patients with similar symptoms caused the region’s medical officer of health to issue a “boil water” advisory warning residents to not drink the water without boiling it first.
An inquiry into the matter concluded that the operators did not have any formal training for the duties they were hired to do. They engaged in a number of improper operating practices, including failing to apply sufficient doses of chlorine, failing to monitor chlorine residuals daily, making false entries in the daily operating records, and misstating the locations at which water samples were taken. The operators were fully aware that these practices were unacceptable and contravened the Ministry of Environment guide- lines and directives.
At least seven people died from drinking the water contaminated with E. coli. These residents might have been saved if the Walkerton Public Utilities Commission had admitted sooner that the water was contaminated. In addition, about 2500 people became ill. An experimental drug in Phase III clinical trials, Synsorb Pk, was used to treat 19 children on compassionate grounds under Health Canada’s Special Access Program.
In spite of the fact that Ministry of Environment guidelines and directives existed before this tragedy, not to mention that the staff at Walkerton Public Utilities Commission failed to adhere to these guidelines, how much responsibility do you feel the provincial government had in this case? Also, comment on the decision to distribute the experimental drug to the 19 affected children.