Walkerton Water Scandal

RUNNING HEAD: The Walkerton Water Scandal

The Walkerton Water Scandal

Brittany LeBlanc

Business Ethics

April 8th, 2011

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..1

2. Ethical issues involved…………………………………………………………………….…2-3

3. Relevant facts………………………………………………………………………………...3-4

4. Environmental impact……………………………………………………………………...…4-5

5. Impact on society……………………………………………………………………..………5-6

6. Impact to any related industries…………………………………………………….…………..6

7. Impact to their employees………………………………………………………………………6

8. Federal and provincial guidelines………………………………………………………………7

9. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...8

10. Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………..9

11. Reflection/Learning Narrative ………………………………………………………………10

Introduction

The beginning of the issue with tainted water began on May 15th, 2000 in the relatively small community Walkerton, Ontario. The towns supply of water was operated by the Walkerton Public Utilities Commission, with brothers Stan Koebel as the acting manager and Frank Koebel as water foreman; it was later addressed that neither had any formal training in the positions, only holding their jobs through experience. In the beginning, many residences in the small town of about 5000 began to randomly experience bloody diarrhea, gastrointestinal infections and other symptoms of E. coli infection. For days after the symptoms had begun to be noticed, the Walkerton Public Utilities Commission insisted that he water supply was “OK” while completely realizing and holding laboratory tests which stated otherwise. On May 21st, a dramatic increase in the number of patients with similar symptoms finally convinced the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Murray McQuigge, to issue a boil advisory, in efforts to advise the public to not drink the water.

It was later discovered that the water supply became contaminated with a very highly dangerous strain of E. coli bacteria (Escherichia coli and...