Dear editor:
I am alarmed at the recent goings on in this town over the fears and changes contemplated for our water system.
We are lucky to have an excellent source for our water system. In the not too distant past, a new engineered treatment plant was built—supposedly it was to last for 100 years.
Our delivery system of pumps and pipes is old, but it is regularly maintained or repaired whenever needed. Somebody must think it’s okay because the repair holes are backfilled and paved, for posterity.
It sounds as if an alarm of some sort has been sounded to our local municipal people to upgrade something or new laws will find us in trouble with the province’s expectations.
Does it appear that we can expect our present systems to collapse? Does it sound that we can expect to prepay for something that may not happen?
When I send money to the Civic Centre for taxes, sewer and water, and electricity, it is a far cry from the expenses of the past. I am an old judge of that, and there doesn’t seem to be a corresponding increase in the quality or amount of service.
We all can look back at the garbage collection fiasco—bags, cans, stickers, etc. The mayor and council are setting us up for a grand surprise that no one seems to be aware of or concerned about. The fact that someone might use a little more water than someone else is getting a big lip service.
The talk is to install water meters on all the water services in town. Then someone can arbitrarily establish the rate of payment.
No one has been successful on that concept for schools, arenas, etc. We all pay. However, no one has dealt with the mention of the cost of installing the meters, or let the people who will pay for them what this entails.
Maybe it’s because they don’t know?
Well, the meter has to be purchased and installed. Costs will be in excess of $500 and maybe up to $1,000. Not everyone’s plumbing is the same and it’s a good probability the older houses of 10 years or more will have some major difficulties.
How would you like to spend that money just to know how much water you use, as if it is in short supply?
I don’t believe we should throw the baby out with the bath water. We don’t need more town employees to read meters and send out bills.
Thank you for your attention.
Signed,
John Steinke
Fort Frances, Ont.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
