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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1982-08-05, Page 3Alternatives are outlined Jam hall for Stanley water debate Saturday morning, seasonal and year-round residents of Stanley Township filled all available seats in the recreation hall of the Sugar Bush Inn on Highway 21 south of Bayfield, and latecomers lined the walls. They had interrupted their holiday activities to attend a public meeting called by Stanley township council to discuss development of a Lake Huron shoreline water- works for the area between Highway 21 and Lake Huron within the township of Stanley. Township Reeve Paul Steckle almost immediately turned the meeting over to Stephen Burns of B.M. Ross and Associates, Limited, con suiting engineers. Burns detailed the results of a study undertaken by the Goderich firm at the request of the township council in the spring of 1':1 to observe the area from Bayfield south to Drysdale, and from Highway 21 to the Lakeshore, and sug- gests ways of resolving the problem of poor quality drink- ing water. Burns first gave some background information. Ex- isting development in the area under study includes 27 farms, 30 rural homes, 414 seasonal residences plus 85 vacant lots and one summer and two trailer camps, representing a present total of between 2,500 and 3,000 people. Residents are served by 14 water systems, 10 of which are privately owned and operated, and the remainder municipally owned and privately operated. Most water comes from wells rang- ' ing in depth from 130 to 165 feet. After taking water samples, the ministry of the environment has found that the quality of drinking water from the Sugar Bush Inn north to Bayfield reasonably good. The quality of samples south of. lot 2 (the area from the sideroad immediately west of the Inn south to Drysdale) was abysmally low; hardness was measured at 1,065 milligrams per litre compared to an average of 200, iron at 1.4 m/1 when water should be treated at the .3 mark, colour was 25 units compared to a desirable measurement of 1, and sulphate, the culprit responsi- ble for a rotten -egg smell, measured more than three times the tolerable level of 250. The study also established that of the 14 communal water delivery systems, only one would meet current pro- vincial standards; five did at the time of their construction, and 9 were built without ob- , taining approval. "It is safe to state that if an alternate source were available this would not be an acceptable water supply," Burns commented. "The (provincial) government would not let you use this if there were something else to use." Burns presented the options available to solve the two -fold pr6blem of water quality and substandard distribution systems. Doing nothing and living with the situation was rejected at once; the studv The Ross study recom- mended that the findings of the report be presented at a public meeting, and that the provincial government be ap- proached for financial assistance. Burns' statement that at present the govern- ment's subsidy program ex- cludes cottagers and agricultural development sent a wave of det isive laughter rippling through the crowded room. In Burns opinion, a con- templated project of this size could not proceed without financial assistance. He sug- gested that the government be pressured to change its mind, and reminded his au- dience that a practical timetable for something of this magnitude would be five to ten years after financing had been arranged. A : lively question period followed the presentation of the report. Steckle informed one cottage owner that the petition which precipitated the feasibility study was cir- culatedtoyearround residents along. highway 21 and representatives of 50 households signed. Another cottager who had to leave before the meeting ended asked for and received assurances that seasonal residents would be included in future decision-making. Seventy -nine-year-old min- ing engineer C. Lloyd Bullen, presently adapting his home in Homestead Heights for year-round living, was one of 'many who asked why water from Lake Huron could not be used. He suggested that groups of cottagers get together and build economical systems similar to his own, consisting of four large interconnecting drainage tiles installed about 20 feet below the highwater mark, with a pump sitting in this "well", and a pipeline buried in the bank'carrying water to the cottages. Resinous filters would remove much of the water's hardness, and reverse osmosis technology could also be applied. Bullen recommended a two -water system on tap for human consumption. He also maintains that the limestone layer under the study area is permeated with gas and oil, r1.7 :'LYS WATER PROBLEM -- Stephen Burns explains some of the findings of n feasibility study of Stanley township's water supply , while reeve Paul Steckle listens intently. A public meeting to discuss water drew a large crowd May have to expropriate easements Despite the need indicated for the installation of the storm drain in the south-west portion of town, Exeter coun- cil learned this week they may have to initiate ex- propriation procedures to ac- quire some of the property easements required to under- take the project. The public works commit- tee report, presented by chairman Don MacGregor, had a recommendation, that expropriation procedures be placed in. action for the easements if they are not secured from the property owners by September 15 of this year. MacGregor said letters from council seeking the easements have not been replied to by several proper- ty owners in the area to be serviced by the storm drain. Council endorsed the recommendation, Tuesday. The committee also William St. ambulance exit at reported that Dan Kierstead South Huron Hospital if and Ken Snedden had met money is available in the with them, requesting a fence public works budget. at the rear of their properties MacGregor said the cost of located at 402 and 410 William . paving the boulevards across Street., which abuts the from the high, school was 'public parking lot at the rear $1,300 and was being recom- of the Main St. stores. mended at this time because The committee viewed the the PUC would be paving the situation with the two men street in that location follow - and MacGregor said the area ing the installation of a new was a mess, but added that it water line. . was all private property. Finance committee chair - The two men were en- couraged by the committee to direct a letter of request for improvements to the town's property standards committee. A recommendation that the boulevards on Gidley St. E. in front of the property owners across from the high school be paved was approved by council and consideration will also be given to paving the boulevards in front of the :.:.r' R.t • '4' , UP AND OVER — Exeter's DarrylSimpson soars over the finish line in a practice run prior to the Canadian National junior and schoolboy motocross champion- ships at Hully Gully. Local youths show well The 46 -acre Hully Gully motorsport park between Varna and Brucefield was the site of the Canadian National Junior and Schoolboy cham- pionships on the weekend. The two-day event was held in Ontario for the first time in five years. The Canadian Motorcycle Association -sanctioned classic, with Suzuki Canada Incorporated as major spon- sor plus contributions from many area businesses, registered approximately 400 participants. Close to 5,000 riders and spectators came to Hully Gully during the two- day event. Local winners included Darryl Simpson, Exeter, 6th. in the Schoolboy 100; Jim Dickens, Hensall, 7th in Peewee B; Sean Van Dongen, Clinton, 4th in the Junior 250 and 7th in the Junior 125, and Randy Marriage, Clinton, 6th in the Junior 250. man Bill Mickle, noting that budget funds were available for the project, urged that it be undertaken. For council's information, the committee reported that extending a gravel road ex- tension of Pryde Boulevard through to Huron St. would cost approximately $22;000, plus the cost of acquiring the necessary property. The local planning board had recently recommended that the extension be under- taken to provide another exit for the Dow subdivision residents. There would be no provin- cialsubsidies on the project, MacGregor explained, adding that the committee also con- sidered extending John St. E. through Pryde from Edward St. as a second outlet for the subdivision. It was indicated that either of the proposals may be a long time in coming into being and will possibly not transpireun- til the area is developed, at which time the subdividers would be required to install the streets. contributing to the sulphate problem in water from drill- ed wells. At the close of the question period Reeve Steckle assured his audience that there will still be many occasions for those concerned to meet with Stanley township council, the engineers; k provincial authorities and others before a final decision is reached. "I don't want you to go home today thinking you are going to receive a charge notice on your taxes next year, because that's not going to happen," he promised. When Steckle asked those who wish council to continue on with the deliberations already begun at the day's meeting to raise their hands, the straw vote was carried by about a two-thirds majority. was undertaken because many people are dissatisfied with the present situation. Treating the existing supp- ly would also be unsatisfac- tory. Many residents now have water softeners and iron filters and are still unhappy with existing quality; they can treat for iron, hardness and clarity but can do nothing about the sulphates. Building a water treatment plant in Stanley to take water from Lake Huron, treat it and distribute it was considered and rejected. The cost of building the plant alone would be over one million, plus the ongoing operating costs. The engineers could also foresee environmental problems resulting from the construc- tion of such a plant. Hooking on to the proposed pipeline bringing water from the provincially owned facilities at Grand Bend was another option. Although Hay township has talked of con- structing a line from the Grand Bend plant north to the Hay Stanley boundary, pothing further has been done. Even if such a line existed at present, a pumping station would have to be built at Drysdale to move the water further north another 13 miles. As ' implementing this option would cost more than drilling a new well, it too was rejected on the basis of cost and reliability of supply. This brought Burns to the report's feasible solution; dig new 'wells somewhere bet- . ween the Sugar'Bush Inn and Bayfield, and decide whether to solve the problem for the whole area, encom- passing residents living along Highway 21 and those on the shore of the lake, or limit new service to the highway area. Serving the full area would mean digging at least two new wells south of Bayfield, constructing a pipeline along Highway 21 with supply mains back to the lakeshore subdivisions (whose existing pipeline systems would be upgraded), and constructing some type of water storage. The cost, not allowing for in- flation, would be approx- imately $2.2 million. Alternatively, new wells and pipeline could be install- ed to service only the highway area. This plan would cost an estimated $1.5 million at to- day's prices. Plan A, serving the full area, would benefit 470 ex- isting properties at an estimated cost of $4,800; tak- ing into consideration the 450 future beneficiaries, costs to individual property owners would be lowered to $2,400. If only part of the area were considered in plan B, thecost to each of the 60 existing pro- perties would be around $13,000; adding to the equa- tion the 200 future additional prospects would lower in- dividual costs to approx- imately $4,000, Times -Advocate, August 5,1982 Page 3 Open Thurs., & Fri. Mites Till 9. Home Made 11 Ib. box reg. $19.99 Save *5.00 Steakettes $..14.99 WienersW—uieners 1/2 PRICE ,,99 n the Deli, Sliced ..ked Ham Ib. -•99 5 lb Boxes Pork Chops $.1 .69 Limited Quantity Darlings Packers m�ked "2.99ausage Save *1.00 Ib. Darlings Packers, Smoked H�ms Whole $.1.49 Darlings Packers, Summer. ausoge Piece Sliced • .$2.99 ,,.$3.39 Beef Liver, Hearts and Tongues Freezer Specials �.. I i �.11. J � i. �T. ,:►�F4 , :L .,rr MOTOCRO$$ CHAMPIONSHIPS – Crowds of spectators watched the action dur- ing the Canadian National junior and schoolboy motocross championships at HuIIy Gully on the weeken# — . arryl impson, xeter, to es a break during practice runs in preparation for the Cana- dian National junior and schoolboy motocross cham- pionships held at HuIIy Gully on the weekend. Sides of Beef '.1.69 Fronts of Beef $.1.49 994 Hinds of Beef $.1.99