SIMCOE MUSKOKA — As the health unit lifts its drinking water advisory for Muskoka, another threat is washing over Central Ontario.

Those who relied on helpful advice from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) were surprised to learn of government plan to swallow it up in a merger to the south as part of a provincial health restructuring plan.

And they fear a possible separation of the Muskoka and Simcoe services, which formed about a decade ago when the Parry Sound-Muskoka Health unit merged with its Simcoe counterpart.

As a result, SMDHU’s board has asked the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Christine Elliott, “to keep the full territory of the health unit, Simcoe County and the District of Muskoka, whole when it joins with York Region to form a new public health entity April 1, 2020.”

The recommendation passed at the Board of Health meeting Wednesday, May 15, says a board release the next day.

“We believe that the division of our Muskoka and Simcoe operations will disrupt and undermine the delivery of public health programs to Muskoka,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, SMDHU’s medical officer of health. “The proposed geographic area that would include Muskoka is vast — more than 400,000 square kilometres – and providing public health services to such a large and low density area will be extremely challenging.”

Under the proposed boundary changes for SMDHU, the Simcoe County portion of the health unit will join with York Region as a new regional public health entity, while Muskoka will join a new regional entity that will also serve Sudbury, North Bay, Parry Sound, Algoma, Porcupine, Timiskaming and part of Renfrew, an area that extends to James Bay.

“A merger between SMDHU and York Region will be complex,” said Anita Dubeau, chair of SMDHU’s board of health. “However, splitting the operations between Simcoe and Muskoka at the same time as mergers both with York and six other health units to the north will be overwhelming in its complexity.”

The Ford government announced in its April budget that it intended to establish 10 public health entities with 10 new independent boards of health by 2020-2021.

There are currently 35 provincial health units that will have their borders redrawn.

At the same time, the province announced changes to the cost-shared model for public health funding, which will increase the municipal portion of health unit budgets.

Legislation to establish the existence of the new public health entities is expected to take effect April 1, 2020.

The province had indicated that it is willing to consider feedback on the boundary changes.

For more information about SMDHU, as well as its programs and services, call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or visit www.simcoemuskokahealth.org.

DRINKING WATER ADVISORY LIFTED:

Meanwhile, the health unit has lifting the drinking water advisory for those residents with wells no longer impacted by flood waters.

They recommend that after the flood waters recede, all residents with private water supplies assess their wells/surface water intake to check for flood waters and damage. There should be no flood water immediately surrounding the well.

The ground around the well may have eroded during flooding, possibly creating unsafe conditions or a pathway for surface water and contaminants to enter the well. In other cases, the electrical wires attached to the pump in a well may be damaged, risking electrocution. Well owners should exercise extreme caution approaching their wells, especially older, large-diameter dug wells after a flood.

• Flush the well of any floodwater.
• Disinfect the well and internal plumbing.
• Change any treatment filters.
• Check any water system treatment devices to ensure they are working properly.
• Take a sample of your well water.

–       If the result indicates your water is “safe to drink,” you will still need to take two additional water samples to confirm your well water.

–       The second sample should be taken approximately one week after the first sample.

–       The third sample should be taken two to four weeks after the first sample.

–       If all three samples are safe, continue to sample your water supply three or four times per year.