President’s message, summer 2018

It sometimes seems that every week a challenge to our drinking water emerges. How can you stay informed about the threats and solutions? Easily – if you’re an OMWA member. We keep members informed about water-related issues and events through our twice-weekly newswire, through our website, and in our upcoming Education Days.

Challenges can come from unexpected sources. Like our clothes and household cleansers. We’ve reported many stories about microplastics and nanoplastics – microscopic bits of non-degradable plastic that scientists now realize pervade our environment.

They’re a new and difficult challenge for water professionals.

Plastic is so ubiquitous that it finds its way into everything around us, even our drinking water. One study found plastic in 85 per cent of tap water samples taken from a dozen countries (in the USA researchers found plastic in 94 per cent of their samples).

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OMWA board of directors and executive committee, 2017

OMWA’s new board of directors

The Board of Directors of the Ontario Municipal Water Association (OMWA) are pleased to announce that at their Annual General Meeting held May 9, 2017 in Niagara Falls, the following slate of Directors was approved.

Political Directors

  • Rosemary K MacLennan               Municipality of Trent Hills
  • Mark Howson                                      Sault Ste. Marie PUC
  • Peter Chilibeck                                   Lakefront Utility Services Inc. (Cobourg)
  • Lynn Dollin                                            Town of Innisfil
  • Doug Lawrance                                  Town of Sioux Lookout
  • Andy Bruziewicz                                 City of Sarnia
  • Patrick Merlihan                                 Township of Woolwich

Management Directors

  • Andrew Henry                                  Lake Huron and Elgin Area Water
  • Nick Benkovich                               City of Greater Sudbury (retired, 2018)
  • Jim Keech                                           Utilities Kingston
  • Amy Martin                                       City of Guelph
  • John Thompson                              City of Barrie
  • Susan MacFarlane                          Lambton Area Water Supply System

Also at the Annual General Meeting, Andrew Henry, who has been the OMWA President for the past three years, announced that he would be stepping down and will become our Past President.

Following the 2017 AGM the OMWA Board held a Meeting of the Directors and the following changes to board’s executive were made:

  • President Andrew Henry (Manager, Lake Huron & Elgin Area Primary Water Supply Systems, London) stepped down after serving three years, and is now Past President;
  • Vice President Rosemary Kelleher-MacLennan (Deputy Mayor, Municipality of Trent Hills) was elected President;
  • Vice President Peter Chilibeck (Chair, Lakefront Utilities, Cobourg) is now Chairman of the Board;
  • Board members John Thompson (manager of Water, Wastewater and Environmental Operations, City of Barrie) and Doug Lawrance (Mayor, Municipality of Sioux Lookout) were elected Vice-Presidents.

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