"TORONTO -- More than a decade after the Walkerton disaster, much of Canada's tap water remains at risk from contamination despite initial progress in front-line monitoring and treatment, a new report concludes."
"In its third such report released Tuesday, the environmental group Ecojustice warns that while some jurisdictions have stepped up water protection efforts in the past five years, most have not done enough.
In 2000, seven people died and 2,500 fell ill in Walkerton, Ont., when the town's poorly monitored drinking water was contaminated with E. coli from farm runoff.
The tragedy prompted most provinces to review and revamp their drinking water laws with mixed results — but that burst of enthusiasm has faded in recent years, according to the report.
'In many places, the health of Canadians is still at risk,' the report concludes."
Colin Perkel reports for the Canadian Press November 15, 2011.
