Public Perception of Water Quality in Halifax Harbour by Sarah Weston Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of Ge
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Public Perception of Water Quality in Halifax Harbour by Sarah Weston Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Geography 4526.0 for the degree of Bachelor of Science (Honours) Department of Geography Saint Mary’s University Halifax, Nova Scotia © Sarah Weston, 2010 DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY FACULTY OF ARTS SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY This research project report titled Public Perception of Water Quality in Halifax Harbour has been examined and approved for the Department of Geography, and it completes the requirements for Geography 4526.0: Honours Research Project. April 29, 2010 Examining Committee: Dr. Catherine Conrad Department of Geography, Saint Mary’s University Dr. Jason Grek Martin Department of Geography, Saint Mary’s University ii ABSTRACT Public Perception of Water Quality in Halifax Harbour by Sarah Weston The purpose of this research is to identify public perception of water quality in Halifax Harbour in light of ongoing sewage treatment issues and the opening and closure of Black Rock and Dingle beaches for swimming in 2008. An additional research goal was to establish how and from whom the public would prefer to receive water quality data related to Halifax Harbour. Surveys were conducted through interviews in public areas in Halifax and via the internet to determine public perception of Harbour water quality in 2008 and 2009 in comparison to municipal information that was reported during this time. Survey results indicate that public opinion is divided in relation to past and future potential recreational use of the Harbour and its beaches. The goal of this research is to recommend an effective environmental monitoring and management style for Halifax Harbour that improves environmental conditions, engages public participation, and encourages public confidence. April 29, 2010 iii RÉSUMÉ Public Perception of Water Quality in Halifax Harbour by Sarah Weston Le but de cette recherche est d'identifier la perception publique de la qualité de l'eau dans le port de Halifax à la lumière des issues continues de traitement d'eaux d'égout et de l'ouverture et la fermeture des plages noires de roche et de Dingle pour nager en 2008. Un but additionnel de recherches était d'établir comment et de qui le public préférerait recevoir des données de qualité de l'eau liées au port de Halifax. Des aperçus ont été menés par des entrevues dans des secteurs publics à Halifax et par l'intermédiaire de l'Internet pour déterminer la perception publique de la qualité de l'eau de port en 2008 et 2009 par rapport à l'information municipale qui a été rapportée pendant ce temps. Les résultats d'aperçu indiquent que l'opinion publique est divisée par rapport à l'utilisation récréationnelle potentielle passée et future du port et de ses plages. Le but de cette recherche est de recommander un contrôle de l'environnement et un modèle de gestion efficaces pour le port de Halifax qui améliore des conditions environnementales, engage la participation publique, et encourage la confiance populaire. April 29, 2010 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to sincerely thank my advisor, Dr. Cathy Conrad, for her dedicated guidance and encouragement. Thank-you for always finding the time to point me in the right direction. Thank-you also to Jason Grek Martin for kindly contributing his time and support as my second reader. A special thank-you to Amber Silver for her coaching and endless patience, I can’t imagine how much more difficult this process would have been without your advice. I wish to express my most sincere gratitude to Cory Blanchard, Emma Garden, Ashley Shelton, Samantha Page, and Jake Parker for their assistance in making this project possible. I also would like to thank the faculty and staff of the Saint Mary’s University Geography Department and the Community-Based Environmental Monitoring Network for supporting this project. Finally, I offer my most sincere thanks to the residents of the Halifax Regional Municipality for contributing their time to participate in this survey. Halifax, Nova Scotia April 29, 2010 v Table of Contents Approval Page.....................................................................................................................ii Abstract..............................................................................................................................iii Résumé...............................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................v Table of Contents...............................................................................................................vi List of Tables.......................................................................................................................ix List of Figures......................................................................................................................x Chapter 1: Introduction and Literature Review ................................................................ 1 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Marine Pollution: A Global Context ............................................................ 2 1.1.1 Canada ........................................................................................................ 5 1.1.2 Atlantic Canada ........................................................................................... 6 1.2 Marine Pollution: Prevention, Remediation, and Recreation ................................ 6 1.2.1 Environmental Monitoring: A Regional Scale Approach ............................ 8 1.2.2 Certification Programs ................................................................................ 8 1.2.3 The Importance of Public Perception ....................................................... 10 1.3 Public Perception, Marine Recreation and Water Quality in Halifax Harbour .... 11 Chapter 2: Study Area Review ......................................................................................... 15 2.0 History of Halifax Harbour ................................................................................... 15 vi 2.1 Physical Environment ............................................................................................ 19 2.2 Impacts .................................................................................................................. 21 2.3 Evolution of Sewage Treatment in Halifax ........................................................... 22 2.4 Current Social Context .......................................................................................... 25 Chapter 3: Research Methods ......................................................................................... 27 3.0 Preliminary Research ............................................................................................ 27 3.1 Survey Design ........................................................................................................ 28 3.2 Survey Application ................................................................................................ 31 3.3 Statistical Analysis ................................................................................................. 33 Chapter 4: Results ............................................................................................................ 34 4.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 34 4.1 General Demographics ......................................................................................... 34 4.2 Public Perception of Water Quality ...................................................................... 36 4.3 Potential interrelationships between variables ................................................... 41 4.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 43 Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusion ............................................................................. 45 5.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 45 5.1 Discussion of Survey Results ................................................................................. 46 5.2 Recommendations ................................................................................................ 50 5.2.1 Survey Specific Recommendations ........................................................... 51 5.2.2 Public Health and Recreational Activity in Halifax Harbour ..................... 52 5.2.3 Alternative Management Approach ......................................................... 56 vii 5.3 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 58 Reference List ..................................................................................................................60 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: A summary table of the Timeline of events provided by the Halifax Regional Municipality outlining the development of sewage treatment in Halifax...................................................................................................... 25 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1a: General sources of marine pollution on a global scale...............................4 Figure 1.1b: