Water Quality - Lac Poisson-Blanc Association

The Quality of My Well Water

As the owner of an individual well, you are responsible for ensuring its quality with a view to protecting your health and that of your loved ones.

Here you will find all the information you need to meet this obligation. http://www.mddelcc.gouv.qc.ca/eau/potable/depliant/index-en.htm

Booklet that can help you: How-well-is-your-well

Boiling water? Notice-to-boil-water

Assessing the Health of a Lake

Lake Science

It wasn’t until the late 1960ʼs that scientists began studying in earnest the negative impact of human activity on our water systems. In fact, it was through the work done in northern Ontario that we learned about the harmful effects of industry-generated acid rain and phosphorus on our waterways.

Complexity of the Task

Although we now know much more about the many man-made threats facing our lakes and rivers. Accordingly, a myriad of data must be collected and studied to determine its current and future state. These data include:

ph (ie: alkalinity/acidity);
transparency;
turbidity;
temperature;
levels of phosphorus, chlorophyll a, oxygen, and calcium;
fish population and reproduction;
the presence of invasive species, algae, aquatic plants, and periphyton;
and so on.

The Data

For example, a lake can have very good transparency, phosphorus, and chlorophyll a readings but, at the same time, have subsurface rocks covered with thick layers of periphyton, be plagued by large beds of Eurasian milfoil, have a bottom blanketed by decaying organic material, and experience blue-green algae blooms.

If an assessment were based solely on the aforementioned transparency, phosphorus, and chlorophyll a readings, one could easily conclude that the lake in question was in good shape and had low levels of nutrient inflow. However such positive conclusions would conflict with the above-noted and worrisome physical phenomena. The need for caution when assessing the health of a lake is acknowledged by RSVL which is done by one of our members (Johanne) every two weeks during cottage season by stating the evaluation of the nutrient level based solely on physicochemical data (eg: phosphorus readings). But we must also take into consideration certain components of the coastline such as aquatic plants, periphyton, and sediment. Accordingly, one must be very careful when making pronouncements about the state of a lake.

Here are some suggestions:

Reduce the input of nutrients into the lake;
Don’t use fertilizers near lakes;
Use detergents that do not contain phosphates;
Ensure that you have a proper septic system and that is in good order;
Maintain or replant a proper shoreline vegetation;
Tell your visitors to wash their boat before putting it in our lake. Don’t forget, you must do the same if you bring your boat elsewhere.