(Y95 News file photo)
Council for the Municipality of the District of Yarmouth (MODY) had a lengthy discussion at its meeting on Wednesday August 28 about the issue of providing potable water to residents whose wells are low or have run dry.
There has been a dry spell recently, although it has not been officially declared a drought. That is based on a number of factors that include information supplied by Environment Canada and a response from Nova Scotia’s Emergency Management Office.
Many residents had contacted our newsroom saying their wells were low or had gone dry. The municipal office and some councillors had been contacted by people seeking water from the Mariners Centre. Right now those needing potable water must purchase tokens supplied by the Town of Yarmouth. According to an email to our newsroom from the town, each token is $4.55 for 250 gallons of water which can be used at an automated dispensing unit from the water tank in Lake George.
It is an automatic machine that you just put in the token and then use the hose to fill your bucket
CAO Victoria Brooks says there’s no firm policy in place in regards to making water available at Mariners Centre to residents.
http://www.cjls.com/2019/08/28/so-how-dry-is-your-well/
“I wouldn’t say there’s a policy position on it. The Mariners Centre role in 2016 and 2018 was part of a team effort in respect to a coordinator response to what was defined as a drought through emergency measures. I really can’t speak to a policy but I can suggest that the Municipality of Yarmouth, with respect to responding to emergency related activity, would be a coordinated response.”
Brooks says council gave her direction to seek more information.
“I was directed to engage with our Emergency Management Coordinator Max Stulberger and I did do that and Max is developing some recommendations in terms of how to track data, how to track need and some recommendations on responding to need in a more individual way.”
She says it would be difficult for MODY council to have a set policy in place.
“We have a multi-season chronic issue developing. I do have some information from contractors in the marketplace who are involved in well drilling and they indicate that the water table is not what it once was and so we have developing some chronic issues around availability of water and where water is with respect to the ground. The discussion probably should have a more long view approach. With respect to policy and the Mariners Centre, the Mariners Centre operates under a management board that has specific authorities granted to it by the owners, so there’s very a complex governance discussion that would likely have to take place to kind of nail down how we should cope moving forward.”
At the council meeting Warden Leland Anthony expressed his desire that residents in need should have access to waterfront Mariners Centre.
“I want residents to know if they have an issue in needing water that they can go to Mariners Centre. I’m not saying their flooding in the doors, but whether its 7 residents of 700 residents, let’s see each and everyone of us go without water and see if you’re not at the door.”
Councillor Loren Cushing said special consideration should also be given to seniors.
“A lot of seniors don’t have a truck, they don’t have a tank. All they want to do is just have some clean water to try to look after themselves and I think it’s our responsibility, if they can’t do that, is to help them. I think it’s a very important need to fulfill if we can.”
