Stephanie Jones wants to know why the city stream in her Henry Street backyard turned chalk-white in late September.
“When I noticed the creek was so white, it didn’t seem right,” said Jones of Bunker’s Creek, a waterway that eventually drains into Kempenfelt Bay, near the Barrie Marina. “It didn’t seem right that so much sludge was coming through the creek.
“There may not be an issue, now that they are flushing it through.”
On Wednesday morning, the stream was not white, but clear and running. However, Jones has photos of whiter water there.
Henry Street is west of Anne Street, north of Dunlop Street West, and relatively close to the Anne Street bridge, which has been under reconstruction for more than a year and there is also the associated Highway 400 widening.
“Whatever they are doing over there,” Jones said, glancing toward the Anne Street bridge and the 400, “has definitely affected the water flow. I had never seen that before.”
Jones, who has lived on Henry Street since late 2017, also said she felt it was odd the city sent out a release about the situation.
On Oct. 6, the city sent out a notice that it had identified a suspected upwelling of a mineral substance in the stormwater at Bunkers Creek that may also be in the Milligan’s Pond area.
Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks was determining the cause of the suspected mineral-rich water entering the creek. This water was within the stormwater system at Bunkers Creek and city staff were continuing to monitor flows within the creek.
The notice also said there was currently no concern for Barrie’s drinking water supply.
The ministry had more information when contacted by BarrieToday.
“The material in the water is naturally occurring calcium carbonate from the mineral-rich groundwater,” said ministry spokesperson Gary Wheeler. “The groundwater is reacting with stormwater in the creek.
“The calcium carbonate is producing a fine white sediment in the creek as the water slows down and mixes. Sediment controls have been installed along the east side of Highway 400 to reduce the material from travelling further downstream," he added.
Wheeler also said suspended sediment, such as calcium carbonate, could be considered a contaminant in the natural environment if not controlled. To control the sediment, a contractor has installed controls that reduce sediment from travelling further downstream, he added. The controls are routinely inspected by the contractor on-site.
Sediment controls have been installed to minimize the migration of the calcium carbonate precipitate, Wheeler said.
“The calcium carbonate is naturally occurring and dissolves back into the surface water as it moves downstream,” he said. “There is no threat to the City of Barrie’s drinking water.”
The Henry Street area’s water is extracted from the ground by municipal wells and is treated before it reaches households.
Jones says she will be watching her section of Bunker’s Creek nonetheless, in case it changes colours again.
“I don’t know whether I should have concerns about it,” she said.
Ontario’s Transportation Ministry demolished Barrie’s Anne Street bridge over Highway 400 in early June 2021 in order to build a replacement. The bridge closure is anticipated to last approximately 18 months, until this November, according to the MTO. This construction includes significant roadwork on the 400, from Dunlop Street to St. Vincent Street.
