Dear Editor:
RE: Centre Wellington to develop new water policy, May 28.
I wish to respond to last week’s article about the capacity of Centre Wellington’s Water System. This needs additional context.
We have two water studies in Centre Wellington, and they each have a separate purpose.
At the May 25 council meeting, Councillor Ian MacRae drew attention to the Water Supply Master Plan’s conclusion that new water supply for our water system is required by 2020. This study concludes that we need two wells by 2022 and additional new wells added to the system every five years until 2041. Without considering a contingency of having one well offline for some reason, we are okay until 2026. We need these wells if the township intends to support the future growth that is planned over the next two decades.
The Water Supply Master Plan determines the infrastructure needs of Centre Wellington’s drinking water system in order to meet future drinking water requirements.
The other study, the Tier 3 Water Budget, looks at how much water is in the ground, in the municipal aquifer, to supply those wells. Knowing how much water there is in the aquifer can determine the risk there is to our municipal water sources into the future. This is the study that was presented to council last Monday.
This is a different thing altogether.
The Tier 3 study has determined that there is enough sustainable water in the ground to support population growth until 2031 to 2036. But after that we don’t know.
There is aquifer capacity and water system capacity – two different things. Yes, it is confusing, but we want to keep it straight.
When it comes to wells, we pay attention to the Water Supply Master Plan. When it comes to water in the aquifer, we pay attention to the Tier 3 Water Budget Study.
Jan Beveridge,
Save Our Water
