Is our water safe according to Ontario Provincial Procedures to Govern Separation of Sewers and Watermains?

Is our water safe according to Ontario Provincial Procedures to Govern Separation of Sewers and Watermains? Please find the procedures for yourself at http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/gp/F-6-1.pdf

In this trailer park, our water and sewer lines arrive at our individual trailers within inches of each other if not immediately touching each other. Numerous plumbers have stated that there are breaks in the main water supply lines within the park and no one individual can actually show where the water supply lines run. Plumbers have stated that a main water supply break is adequately fixed or rectified by being covered over with a piece of hose and affixed with hose clamps. If the watersupply lines are leaking, an intelligent individual would also infer that the sewer lines could also be leaking out contaminated water. Can anyone individual testify that our water is indeed secure from such contamination and is indeed clean and potable water?

· Sewers/sewage works¹ and watermains located parallel to each other should be constructed in separate trenches maintaining a minimum clear horizontal separation distance of 2.5 metres.

· It is recognized by the Ministry of Environment and Energy that health hazards may develop through relative locations of watermains and sewers. Adequate protection must be provided to prevent the occurrence of waterborne disease and chemical poisoning due to contaminated ground water and surface runoff entering the water distribution system.

UNACCEPTABLE INSTALLATIONS

· No watermain or service line shall pass through or come into contact with any part of a sewer, sewer manhole and/or septic tank and tile field or similar sources of contamination.

Does anyone individual know where all prior septic tanks and tile fields were on this property? Will our RIGHTS to potable water free from contamination be upheld or are we all going to have deal individually on any possible health related legal matters?

http://www.region.durham.on.ca/works.asp?nr=/departments/works/faq.htm&setFooter=/includes/worksFooter.inc#21

How deep is the water service to my house?

The depth of the service varies. The minimum is a depth of 1.8 metres, which protects the service from freezing.

I want to dig some fence post holes in my yard. Will the Region locate my water service for free?

Yes. The Region will locate your water service at no charge. Phone the Regional Works Department Depot serving your area to make an appointment before you dig.

If the region will locate an individual water service at no charge, would the region be a resource for the park to address in resolving our water problems?

There have been suggestions that our waterlines may have possibly been frozen during the bitter cold snap that we have all had to endure. 1.8metres is the depth at which the region installs their water service, has anyone considered whether or not the park waterlines have been installed at such a depth? It is a common misconception that frost and freezing lines can be avoided at a depth of 3 feet.

Possible boycott on rent payments to attract the attention that is required

It has come to my attention that the park may possibly be installing a water meter to one individual trailer that is receiving blame for running their water and preventing the water from getting through to another trailer. If this indeed does happen, I shall be recommending that the park lawyer look into the following right of the tennants to not pay their rent; because, we have not been issued "park rules" especially in regards to water usage.

Further take notice that the landlord has not lived up to their responsibilities in maintaining the park as outlined in previous emails and is further evident upon driving through the park and almost bottoming your car out in our potholes.

If I as an individual can obtain all of the necessary materials to support our case and provide it with links to where that information comes from, I do not understand why I am still feeling as though this park is falling through the cracks and loopholes of society that we all live in. If you were to live just 1 week within the confines of this park, you would understand the shortcomings and neglect that this park has had to deal with for years. Please do not simply turn a blind eye our way, we do have RIGHTS and eventually someone will stand up for our rights. The people of this park do have a lawyer and like any other citizen in this great country of ours, we will have our day in court if there is no other way to re-instate our rights.

http://www.ltb.gov.on.ca/en/Key_Information/158000.html

Rights and responsibilities

Park rules

If a landlord of a mobile home park or land lease community has made park rules, they must give a written copy of those rules to each tenant. The landlord must also notify each tenant in writing of any changes to the park rules.

If a landlord doesn’t give a tenant a copy of the park rules or inform them in writing of any changes, then the tenant can refuse to pay their rent until the landlord gives them the information. However, once the landlord gives the information to the tenant, the tenant must pay back any rent that they withheld. If they don’t, the landlord can give the tenant a notice to end the tenancy for non-payment of rent.

Maintenance and repair

All of the rules about maintenance and repair which apply to other tenants and landlords also apply to mobile home parks and land lease communities. These rules are explained in the Board’s brochure, Maintenance and Repairs.

In a mobile home park or land lease community, the landlord has these additional responsibilities:

• removing or disposing of garbage or ensuring that arrangements are made to remove or dispose of garbage on a regular basis,
• maintaining roads in the park or community in a good state of repair,
• removing snow from the roads,
• maintaining the water supply, sewage disposal, fuel, drainage and electrical systems of the park or community in a good state of repair,
• maintaining the grounds and all buildings, structures, enclosures and equipment that are intended for the common use of tenants in a good state of repair,
• repairing any damage to a tenant’s property (including the mobile home) that was deliberately caused by the landlord or resulted from the landlord’s neglect.

Thank You for your assistance

Thank you Joe Drumm for meeting and discussing relevant materials. Thank you Kyle Carmagon for your correspondence. And an extra BIG THANK YOU to the Toronto Star for your invitation to discuss these matters further for a possible upcoming story.

I have attached to this email a select 5 photos taken today to outline further Safety infractions within the park. Please feel free to deal with the attached photos; however, you see fit.

To those people who are unaware the TSSA is the Technical Standards& Safety Authority. We all should remember the TSSA involvement in the major Toronto Propane Explosion of August 10, 2008 that shut down a major portion of the city around Keele St and the 401. You can find the TSSA on the web at http://www.tssa.org/home/default.asp

The Electrical Safety Authority can be found on the web at http://www.esainspection.net/

If anyone requires further discussion to the notes on these 5 photos, please do not hesitate to contact me via email.

Residents Not Being Adequately Served

I am a concerned resident in the Whitby trailer park. Our concerns seem to be passed from one government authority to the next with no results. And this has been the case for the couple years that I have lived in this trailer park.

The trailer park is possibly going to be shut down with a years notice to residents who primarily own their own trailers, as the owner has a building application before the city. Problem is that the owner of the property has defaulted on his mortgage and the property is presently being run by a property management company hired by the mortgagee. The residents of this park are being left in the dark over many issues of this park(2 days before Christmas this was literally the case with approximately 20 trailers not having power for approximately 18 hours)

I have concerns over the repair that I have heard was only temporary to get us through Christmas to the electrical panel supplying power to the park. To get power back to the 20 trailers, I have heard that a 400 amp fuse was installed in a 250 amp fuse block. If this isn't wrong enough, less than 10 feet away is a 100 pound propane tank that has been installed by a non-licensed individual and the park has extensive water issues.

I have just finished calling the local fire department and was told that they have reported the propane tank to the TSSA and that I should call ESA about the hydro. Well I have called ESA and been informed that the individual who will possibly be looking into this is on time off and may look into it tomorrow. Why should my family's lives be put in jeopardy over someone on time off, a fire official who has no jurisdiction and an individual resident who chooses to copy cat my own propane installation without seeking out proper documentation or installation. Yes, I am concerned; because, I had to have a licensed installer not only install a new switchover regulator but also apply a safety certificate before I could use my propane or I would face a hefty fine.

In the park we still have residents without proper running water and they have been dealing with the property management company and the city by-law officers for approximately 1 month now. In fact there is not even a fire hydrant within the park, the closest fire hydrant is across a major 4 lane highway. If there were a fire in this trailer park due to electrical standards not being maintained or whatever other possible reason what chance of putting out a fire is there?? In my opinion, NONE.

I hope that you will consider looking into this matter for over 60 trailers and 3 houses that are kept in various states of disrepair. I feel that NO ONE else is taking our concerns/lives seriously.

Thank you,