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New provincial rules will cost Huron-Kinloss dearly By Darrell Ziegler The province has introduced new drinking water quality management standards for municipalities, meaning Huron-Kinloss will need to hire a water compliance officer, which could cost the township another “$50,000 to $60,000 in wages” annually. Public works superintendent Hugh Nichol told council at its Jan 8 meeting in Ripley that thanks to the new rules put out by the province, “Water’s going to get expensive.” Municipal drinking water systems will now need a “municipal drinking water license” in order to operate. “We will literally have to apply for a water license all over again.” He says the key component for obtaining a licence is the development of an operations plan, which documents the processes and procedures that the owner (the municipality) must have in place to meet the provincial requirements. The plan must be consistently updated and will be subject to on-going third party audits that are estimated to cost between $3,000 to $7,000 per year. He said it is a Ministry of Environment mandate that the operations plan be developed in-house as each plan would be specific to the individual waterworks. The Ontario Municipal Water Association drafted a 600-page guidance manual to aid in the preparation of the plan, which must be in place by the fall of 2008. Nichol told council that the new regulations would mean a large amount of staff time, 60-100-hours-per-system, Lucknow, Whitechurch, the Lakeshore system, etc. will be needed. “We don’t have the staff, or expertise to ensure compliance,” he said. Violia Canada, who helps look after the township’s water systems, told Nichol they intend to hire additional staff to “assist their municipal clients.” Administrator Mary Rose Walden says although the township may need to hire a new staff member, however an engineer will not be required. “It’s not a technical job,” she said. “We need someone to watch over Violia.” Councillor Lillian Abbott said, “I have a problem with having to hire someone to watch over the people who were hired to look after our water.” Councillor Anne Eadie said she is getting “fed up with the paper work” (forced upon municipalities by the province.) “The province has gone overboard.” Walden said that water now costs residents $194-per-year and that an extra $10 may have to be tagged on to cover the cost of the water compliance officer. “That’s a small price to pay to ensure that your drinking water is fine.” Council agreed, as drinking water rates in Huron-Kinloss are far below what other municipalities in Bruce County pay. Eadie asked if there was anything else to come, regarding demands from the province. “Oh, there’s definitely more to come,” replied Nichol. |
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