The Mayor of Yarmouth says a dry well is not the town’s responsibility.
Many in the Municipality of Yarmouth have been filling up cubes at the town’s bulk water station during one of the driest summers in our history.
Pam Mood says they care about their neighbours, and while they’re happy to help, bulk water stations aren’t a long-term solution.
She suggests looking at drilled wells.
“Because it’s the only way their water is going to last longer. A drilled well isn’t a guarantee that you’ll have water in these droughts that we’ve been having, but it will give you water for longer,” said Mayor Mood.
She knows paying for a drilled well is next to impossible for some, but there are municipal programs in place.
“For example, if your car breaks down and you need another vehicle, we find a way to make those payments. We need water more than we need vehicles, so it’s about finding ways to manage that.”
MODY has a dry well relief program in place where residents can get free drinking water, and Argyle is organizing non-potable water delivery for their residents.
Town receiving many calls about low water levels in Yarmouth County
Mood says town staff have been getting a lot of calls about what they’re going to do about low water levels, sometimes being yelled at and insulted.
“The town cannot continue to answer questions about what’s being done in the municipality regarding water. You have elected people to do that just as the town has elected people. We don’t make the rules and regulations in the municipality,” said Mood in the post.
She adds that dry wells during the summer and fall are no longer a surprise, it’s the new normal.
But the town has to worry about those on the Lake George watershed system, and if levels get too low they’d have to close the bulk water station.
“We don’t anticipate that happening, but we can’t depend on bulk water stations, or build more. People need to have better and deeper wells.”
Mood says the post comes from a place of caring, and she hopes for lots of rain soon.
She’s also encouraging people to conserve water as much as possible.
We’ve reached out to the Municipality of Yarmouth for comment.
