Tottenham resident defends decision to request review of water plan

Councillor says pipeline will solve three problems

By Brad Pritchard Alliston Herald 

A Tottenham resident isn’t backing down from her decision to request the province review the solutions in the town’s master water plan to fix the community’s water problems.

Nancy McBride said she asked the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to conduct a Part 2 order — a move that could delay the project up to two years past the 2020 completion timeline — in order to ensure the town has chosen the best option.

The town won’t find out whether or not the ministry will decide to move ahead with the order for another eight to 12 weeks.

McBride said she believes the solution approved by council — extending the Georgian Bay water pipeline that services Alliston and Beeton to Tottenham — will be a wasted effort unless capacity from the plant in Collingwood is increased.

“There’s not going to be better-quality water because it’s going to be drops coming down the pipeline,” she said.

McBride said she has talked to experts who told her the water could be improved using filtration technology.

Tottenham Coun. Chris Ross said he stands with the majority of residents who support the pipeline extension. He noted the town had previously considered using a reverse-osmosis system, but it was ruled out for reasons of capacity and cost.

“The problem is that eventually there won’t be enough water. The capacity isn’t going to be able to keep up,” he said. “So we are going to spend $6 to $8 million on a reverse-osmosis plant that would potentially be obsolete in four to 10 years.”

Ross said the pipeline will address three problems, starting with future capacity for Tottenham, along with Alliston and Beeton. He said it will also fix the water’s esthetic problems — a brown or yellow discoloration that is caused by the natural organics and iron levels in the wells — and the high level of trihalomethanes that are created during the disinfection process.

While Ross said he wants the pipeline extension to move forward as quickly as possible, he isn’t discouraged by the prospect of a delay.

“If the province sees there’s an issue with it, they will look into it and it will be delayed,” he said. “I’m fine with that. Rules are rules.”

To increase water capacity to meet the town’s future needs, which are expected to triple over the next 15 years, a new water plant will also have to be built in Collingwood. Last year, the deputy mayor estimated the project could cost around $60 million. It’s unknown how much of that cost New Tecumseth would be forced to share.

Ross said negotiations to come up with a new supply agreement before the current one expires in 2019 are continuing.

“I’ve been told by senior managers they are optimistic that we will come to an agreement on future capacity,” he said. “And if we don’t, maybe our pipeline makes a right-hand turn and goes to Wasaga Beach or somewhere else.”