County ditches well policy after residents complain

By: Nicole Kleinsteuber

Well Driller Glendon McKee drills a well on a lot outside Picton. Photo By: Nicole Kleinsteuber

Prince Edward County council has dumped its new dug well policy after residents complained about water testing and water shortages.

Citizens living in rural areas addressed council Tuesday night with formal deputations requesting the policy to be re-written or thrown out.

“The problem with the new policy is the regulations in the policy are so restrictive that people don’t seem to be able to meet them,” said Sophiasburg town councilor Terry Shortt in an interview.

Homeowners looking to sever a portion of their lot have to adhere to a new dug well policy put in place in June 2010.

“It’s discouraging to build a home in the county. We can’t build a home and move ahead with our lives,” said a speaker at Tuesday’s meeting.

The policy required residents to test their water from their well head and prove it’s not contaminated.  Residents have to work with hydro geologists and must pass the quality test with no contaminants.  Well owners aren’t allowed to treat the water or test it at the tap.

In 2004 a Quinte Regional Groundwater Study found that the aquifers of Prince Edward County are extremely vulnerable to contamination.  The study said 59 per cent of county inhabitants rely on ground water as their main source of water.

Council accepted motions Tuesday from seven separate parties who pointed out the problems they’ve experienced with the water quantity and quality being pumped from their wells.

Prince Edward County resident Barbara Belo spoke to council on behalf of Rui Belo and Lois and Larry Wannamaker.

“I have put $25,000 into pumping my wells.  She says it’s been a long and frustrating endeavor,” said Belo.

Pumping is a way to try and flush the well of any contaminants that might be in the water.

Another speaker wanted the policy to include the monitoring of neighbouring wells.

“There was a time where I had no water for three days due to well drilling. I had no water to brush my teeth with,” said Prince Edward County resident Judy Zeleny.

Another resident told council a water specialist told her she has to install a $300 UV light to fix her well problem.

Shortt said the well policy overlooked the fact there are technologies available to solve water quantity and quality issues.  Shortt said there are ways to correct water contamination problems.

“I have a shore well.  I bring water in directly from the bay.  The technology that I have and the filtering and the reverse osmosis systems that are available now I have water that tested zero every time we take it in.  It’s up to the homeowners to make sure your water is up to quality, because it’s you that’s drinking it,” said Shortt.

Prince Edward County Mayor Peter Mertens said there was an obvious problem with the policy and there was no easy fix to it.

“We needed to get on with it and get rid of it and come up with a new one that suits everybody not just half the people,” said Mertens.

Mertens said when the last policy was put into place they went overboard and another policy will take its place.  It will have a lot of the same items in it.  The new policy will include remedies to water problems.

“If you can’t meet the quantity requirements of pumping a gallon per minute then you’ll be able to install a trickle system.  If you’re unable to meet water quality requirements than you’ll be permitted to treat the water.  The new policy didn’t include that.  If you didn’t meet quality requirements then residents weren’t allowed to have it,” said Mertens.

Mertens said that residents aren’t getting off “scott free” while council draws up another policy.

“Reasonable people who want to sever that just want to get on with life couldn’t do it.  To put it on hold while we reviewed the policy and then have them have their severance lapse and then go through the whole process again while they’ve waited for years was unfair.  You can have your severance because council is going to apply standards under the official plan which requires them to meet certain standards,” said Mertens.