As of January 28, 2016 sodium hydroxide (NaOH ) began to be injected into the water supply of Current River without the consent of the 600 affected​ residents​. As of the date of this post, the addition of NaOH has raised our water to a pH of 9. We are profoundly disappointed with the way the City has handled this entire affair. In order to meet provincial requirements, which are now forcing them to in some way deal with the lead issue, the City chose the easiest option. It would have been more honourable if, from the o​ut​set, this test ​had been​ handled in a more t​ransparent​ way​.​ ​T​he silence and ​means​ of informing citizens in the test zone was misleading​. ​We were witness to statistics and information provided by the City ​that ​suddenly change​d​ ​completely ​with no explanation​, such as the extent of the problem that is the City's rather than homeowner responsibility​. ​As it turns out, most of it! ​ We are also ​disappointed that ​receipt of ​the petition ​w​as n​ever acknowledged by the City. The idea for this petition began when specialists from the City​'s​ water department communicated that they did not support th​e addition of NaOH​​ to ​Thunder Bay water. They encouraged us to rouse community action in hopes that the Ministry of Environment would reconsider their Ontario mandate to use chemicals to raise our​ water's​ pH, when in fact T​hunder ​Bay's ​pH​ levels ​were already ​excellent. They believed that if local citizens were vocal in their opposition it might help Thunder Bay stand out, be heard, and that we might ​then ​avoid being lumped in with mandates so often created for other parts of Ontario that are not always suitable to our specific region. After we began this campaign we were surprised to be informed at the first public meeting with the City that the NaOH test would not be stopped even ​if we produced​ 600 protest signatures -​ one from every household in the affected area. We ultimately surpassed 600 signatures and were successful in breaking the silence around the City's plans. We had many conversations, especially from residents in the test zone, who expressed frustration that their opposition, concerns, or alternative ideas seemed to be of no importance to City Council. There are ​now ​some very wonderful ideas ​surfacing about ways we can remove the old lead pipes, though there is no silver bullet. We will keep this petition open, as is, in order to provide a forum for people to share their ideas going forward, and as a place to record concerns with water, issues surrounding the removal of lead pipes, and as the NaOH becomes added to water city wide. A new site may be created as time and energy permits. We do hope that the addition of this chemical ultimately begin​s​ to remedy the situation and that it is but only the first step. Time will tell. There have been those who were quick to ​crit​icize​ and didn't understand the background of why this petition was created, or know that the idea came from people in the City's water department. We believe the conversation has been important and healthy. Citizens need to be respected and they expect to be included as active participants; after all, that is how democracy works. Creating a petition, a community conversation, and ​gaining​ media​ attention​, has also ​achieved​ the goal of raising much greater awareness of a problem​ ​that has been ​​​mostly​ ignored for ​much​ too long. The ​C​ity has never created or run an effective media campaign to inform citizens about the lead problem in Thunder Bay​, something which may have dire consequences​. Many folks have been drinking water with very dangerous lead levels with absolutely no idea of the health implications for their family. The issue of lead in drinking water has recently been in the news in Flint, Michigan; the City and water authorities there face massive lawsuits for their negligence. Throughout our campaign, we have advised people to have their water tested as we were told that many people did not want City workers entering their homes. The water department folks have said that now many more people are willing to have their water tested, which is good news. It is critical that more people understand the value in knowing the lead levels in their tap water. There are ways to remediate the problem, from running the tap to flush the contaminated water to installing a filter. We have received messages from residents who have wanted to replace their lead pipes and have only ​run ​into roadblocks from the City, which were so discouraging that they gave up. Those roadblocks should all be removed ​and we hope this increased attention will help​. There must be incentives from the City for homeowners to get it done. ​Despite challenges, we've replaced our pipes and are will now do it again in our current house. ​The challenge is on for Mayor Hobbs, ​Councillor ​Andrew Foulds, and all armchair social media critics of this petition to do the same. It doesn't have to be that costly or that big a deal to get pipes changed. City ​C​ouncil's priorities need to shift. If the generations before us were able to lay those pipes surely we have the power and technology in 2016 to replace them! That would be a worthwhile goal, a great gift to the generations after us, ​and a way to ​ put Thunder Bay on the map for having excellent water quality.​ At the second public meeting City officials said that with the current plan it will take about 80 years to replace the City's portion of the lead pipes. Surely we can do better! ​ We would like to see the City ​​be transparent​ about the extent​ and location​ of the City-owned lead piping, and also ​to make public a​ record of any roads that have been redone without replacing the lead pipes under them. ​Further,​ the City ​should​ make public the range of lead test result as it has been acknowledged that some tests were over 100 ppm​, ten times the allowable limit​.​ The City could ​immediately ​be providing high-risk residences with filters​; this would encourage testing.​ ​The ​City​ has made some unfortunate missteps, but it is not too late for City​ Council​ to work together with citizens on this problem​. ​ ​It is the citizens who are the true power in a city, and we can achieve great things when we work together. I respect and value all those who have stepped forward and got​ten​ involved. A big thank you to over 600 people who have shown that they care about the water in their city! Lets continue to find ways to get to the heart of the problem, roll up our sleeves and work to find ways to get the lead​ pipes​ out.