What will be finally decided upon, as a wastewater treatment method for Munster, will have ramifications affecting homeowners, families, the health of our children, the Jock River ecosystem and the environment as a whole ...for decades to come.

For a few individuals to noisily rant that they "want a pipeline" ---without any explanation, or supporting technical rationale--- is unconvincing.

This is a period when amalgamation and cutbacks have created reduced accountability in Municipal Government. We have to be more rigourous in the carrying out our our own due diligence. We have to look at reasons for things, question motives and press for accountability in our government officials. Blind trust in "the system" working on its own, without proper scrutiny ...will prove fatal. Munster residents have already paid a huge personal price for their earlier trust that the City would act solely in the public interest, and not have its own opposing agenda.

This Community is a classic example of where the residents, using information they had to gather on their own, came to the conclusion that they wanted the lagoons decommissioned, and a more ecologically sensitive, and aesthetic technology installed to deal with their wastewater, at source (see February 23, 1998, Petition to RMOC Chair, Bob Chiarelli). In the April 2002 Survey, representing 73% of the households in Munster (strictly within the hamlet), 83% wanted onsite treatment, with treated water to be discharged within the local watershed. (A mere 17% indicated that they wanted a pipeline, and it seems most who made that choice, believed it meant they were getting rid of the lagoons ---WHICH IS NOT THE CASE.)

Since the Community's wishes conflicted with the RMOC/City's agenda for a less efficient, more costly pipeline, there have been endless delays, and bad faith dealings by the City, to thwart the more aesthetic and environmentally sound communal solution. Why, therefore, should an "enlightened citizenry" be expected to blindly assume that City politicians and staff ---without their providing any rational engineering explanation or "best business practices" justification for their bizarre schemes --- could always be trusted to do the right thing? (Remember the Ottawa South Collector?)

Do we not have the right to ask our civic officials intelligent questions regarding their activities (supposedly in the public interest), and as ratepayers, expect to get answers? (Check the back of the 107-page pdf File, some of the 100-or-so questions the City has not answered.)

It is for the very fact that the City is trying so vigourously to do all the wrong things, for no stated reasons, that the problems have not been resolved, to date. It is because of these same facts that, if the City were to make the wrong turn NOW, and try to force a pipeline/lagoon fix, then the whole matter will go straight into the courts for another five to ten years.

Let's hope the City will CHOOSE to spare Munster residents further agony, and eliminate the pipeline option ...as the majority of residents, and their own experts have told them to do!