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Home My WebLink AboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-05-05, Page 3Wednesday, May 5, 2004 Exeter Times–Advocate 3 Sewer project takes step forward By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF SOUTH HURON — The municipality is moving fur- ther along in its proposed Crediton/Centralia sewer project and will seek government grants to offset costs to residents. Matt Pearson of B.M. Ross appeared before South Huron council Monday night with his nearly -finished environmental assessment on the project. After hear- ing direction from council, he will prepare the final document for publication. What has upset Crediton and Centralia residents in the past about the project is the average cost of $14,000 per household in the $4.8 million project. The project involves 339 connections in the two villages. The municipality has to do something about the sewage problems in Crediton and Centralia, as studies done by the Huron County Health Unit have shown high levels of E. Coli in storm drains and ditches. Tests showed sewage problems in 26 per cent of Crediton properties and 33 per cent of Centralia properties. Problems include sewage ponding on property and off site discharge of sewage and greywater. The municipality received a binder full of letters from residents concerning the project — mostly objecting to it because of the cost. Chief administrative officer Larry Brown discussed how the cost per property will be calculated. One method he suggested was using a combination of prop- erty assessment, a connection fee and frontage. Costs will be spread out over 20 years. Pearson said since his environmental assessment is almost done, the project is ready to move to the next level. He said the health unit and the Ministry of the Environment will be pressuring the municipality to solve the sewage problems in Crediton and Centralia. "This is ready to come to a conclusion," he said of the project. He later added it would take six months to draw up the designs and construction wouldn't start until 2005. While some homeowners have asked for exemptions from a sewage hook-up because they have new homes, Pearson said giving exemptions to a few houses will only lead to additional requests. Coun. Harvey Ratz said he thinks there will be a lot of resistance to the project and wondered about the possibility of the project only going ahead in either one of the villages, something Mayor Rob Morley later rejected. Deputy Mayor Dave Urlin said he wants to ensure the municipality looks at all avenues for grant money "before we put a shovel in the ground." Pearson said there is no grant money right now, but there could be Precautionary boil water advisory HURON — A boil water advisory will be in effect in the Municipality of Bluewater from 8 p.m. May 13. The Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System will be interrupt- ing water supply for the construction of new facili- ties adjacent to the water treatment plant. Since limited volumes of water will be available during the interruption, water consumption will have to be reduced dur- ing the initial 24 hours of the construction period. Water testing will be ongoing while the adviso- ry is in effect, but dis- colourization and/or cloudy water may devel- op as a result of the con- struction activities. Further notice will be issued if adverse water is detected. This advisory is not a result of bacteria in the water, but only as a pre- cautionary measure while work is being com- pleted. The public will be noti- fied by the health unit when the boil water advi- sory is lifted after two satisfactory samples, taken 24 hours apart, are received. While the advisory is on, use bottled water or boil water at a rolling boil for at least one minute before using it to drink; gargle, brush teeth or rinse dentures; wash fruits, vegetables or other foods; make ice, juice, pudding or other mixes and make baby food or formula. Washing, bathing, showering, laundry and dishwashing can be car- ried out as usual. For more information contact the Municipality of Bluewater at 236-4351 or the Huron County Health Unit at 519-482- a program announced in the next few months. Morley said council has to move forward with the project and the health unit has the power to remove people from their homes if nothing is done about the sewage problems. "They're watching us," Morley said of the health unit. "Nobody said this job would be easy," he told council. Coun. Jim Dietrich said a concern he has heard from residents is that they have sewage problems now and don't want to spend money to fix their septic systems, only to have to pay for the sewer project in a year. Many of the septic systems in the villages are more than 20 years old. "Now they're living on borrowed time," Pearson said of the systems. Morley said the municipality will fight for grant money and added the average $14,000 per household isn't high compared to what property owners in some other municipalities are paying for similar projects. Pearson agreed. "This isn't out of line at all." Dietrich added he wants residents to know they don't have to pay the $14,000 all at once. Brown and Pearson will look at different options on how individual properties will be charged. "It has to be fair to everybody," Brown said. Costly to reduce class sizes By Stew Slater SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE SEAFORTH — Any directive from the provincial government to reduce aver- age class size from 23 to 20 students, between Kindergarten to Grade 3, "will be very expensive," says Avon Maitland District School Board director of education Geoff Williams. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, under questioning from the opposition last week, expressed renewed commit- ment to the proposed change, which first surfaced as a Liberal Party promise during last fall's election cam- paign. After a regular meeting of the Avon Maitland board April 27, Williams said he has heard indications the McGuinty government will require school boards to implement the change for September 2004. "It's great as long as they give us the money to do it," the director of educa- tion said, adding a "quick study" con- ducted by Avon Maitland officials dur- ing last fall's provincial campaign revealed such a change would require the utilization of 40 additional class- rooms, compared to the number now in use. Williams said that would include the addition of several portable classrooms. Phil McCotter, the board's facilities administrator, said that "in some (schools), it wouldn't make much dif- ference facility -wise." For example, he explained, a school may have three Kindergarten classes, which occupy a room only half of the time. That means one classroom probably sits empty for half the time, and a change to four Kindergarten classes would simply fill that classroom full time. However, McCotter noted, "there will be schools where ... obviously, we're going to need more classrooms." Hensall Public School principal Ross MacSorely and Grade 4/5 teacher Rob Gackstetter show off their new haircuts courtesy of Codey Dunlop Gage, Kristina Troyer, Taylor Marriage and Danielle Meikle, who were the students who raised the most money in the school's recent fundraising drive and earned the reward of giving their teachers a head shave. Dunlop Gage was the top seller of potted and hanging plants with $602 raised, followed by Marriage with $292, Meikle at $290 and Troyer with $182 and the school raised a total profit of $2232. (photo/PatBolen) John Pepper cuts the cake at his 102nd birthday party April 28 at Queensway Retirement Home. (photo/Mary Simmons)