AJAX -- The Town has won an award for its efforts to improve water quality along the Lake Ontario shoreline.
Ajax is receiving the Wege Small Cities Sustainability Best Practices Award, which comes with $5,000. The Town's goal is to improve the water quality at Rotary Park and Pickering beaches, which have often been closed due to high bacteria levels.
The award is being presented at the 2008 Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative annual member meeting and conference in Toronto on Friday, July 18.
The Wege award recognizes the efforts of smaller communities to protect the environment and work toward a sustainable future.
David Ullrich, the executive director of the GLSLCI, said the Town's efforts are "an example of action towards sustainability.
"The members of our organization are very proud of the Town of Ajax's accomplishments, and hope the funds from the award will contribute to ongoing progress in preserving the environment," Mr. Ullrich said in a press release.
The Town plans to use the money to continue scientific tracing of the sources of contaminants in its storm sewer system and identify remedial measures, including physical changes to prevent wildlife from inhabiting the system.
Ajax began taking action following the summer of 2005, when beaches in the Town were closed 100 per cent of the time because of high bacteria levels. Also, decaying algae coated the shoreline, taking away from the appearance of the shoreline while giving off an pungent odour.
Possible sources of contaminants include discharge from the water pollution control plant, immediately west of Duffins Creek Marsh, output from wetlands, streams and creeks, waterfowl living near the waterfront and in marshes, and flows from municipal storm sewers.
Since 2005, action taken by the Town includes persuading the Province to impose 13 additional conditions on the expansion of the water pollution control plant; taking part in several water quality studies; trying to determine the cause of bacteria and other pollutants within the Town's jurisdiction; and paying for a water quality sampling program and scientific analysis of the storm sewer system.
Ward 3 local Councillor Joanne Dies will attend the meeting to accept the award.
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