Drinking water gets high marks

Staff

The Town of Fort Frances has received an “A+” for its drinking water.
The water treatment plant (WTP) recently scored a 96 percent on its 2012 “Schedule 22” compliance report from the Ministry of Environment (MoE).
Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft, chair of the Operations and Facilities executive committee, explained Monday evening that for a Schedule 22, the MoE comes in and does a very thorough, focused examination of the water treatment plant and distribution system.
He noted that over the two days the MoE were here, they found only two minor compliance issues:
•the WTP operators weren’t recording enough information in the WTP log book to prove that different continuous analyzers were calibrated in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, and
•water wasn’t sampled for total alkalinity or pH at three locations during two sampling periods.
“They were very, very minor issues. We did score overall 96 percent,” said Coun. Wiedenhoeft. “The public is well-served by the people that work for our distribution system and in our treatment plant.”
These individuals include Environmental and Facilities Superintendent Doug Herr, overall operator-in-charge Randy White, senior WTP operator Brad Webb, WTP operator Mike Allen, water distribution system operators Paul
LeMesurier and Greg Wiedenhoeft, and water distribution system operator in training Randy McArthur.
Also at Monday evening’s meeting, council:
•appointed Paul Pirie to the Fort Frances Public Library Board for a term ending Nov. 30, 2014;
•declined an advertising request from Bearskin Airlines to be in the 50th anniversary edition of its in-flight magazine. The town is not in a position to pay $395 for advertising space. The town will wish Bearskin Airlines the very best in its major accomplishment;
•received a request from Rosanna DeGagne-Tweedie to reduce water and sewer rates at apartment buildings, and decided that the 2013 water and sewer rates would not be adjusted at this time, but that the town would consider the possibility of a new residential rate class for an apartment building with three or less units while setting the 2014 water and sewer rates;
•agreed to establish a policy on being a host community for evacuees in the future;
•authorized a $100 donation to the Rainy River District Music Festival Association;
•directed the Fort Frances Community Clinic to contact Municipal Property Assessment Corp. to discuss and investigate the current value assessment for the unoccupied building located at 363 Church St. (the former library);
•approved a recommendation to form a committee to finalize the details of the town’s annual appreciation dinner slated to take place on June 8 at Sunny Cove;
•approved a luncheon meeting expense claim for Mayor Roy Avis in the amount of $25.88. This was for a meeting with Falls mayor Bob Anderson on March 11;
•approved a per diem claim for Coun. Ken Perry in the amount of $150 for attendance at a Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ community infrastructure partnership program workshop in Barwick on March 7;
•referred a request from Doug Anderson, chair of the Business Improvement Area Board of Management re: consideration of a public nuisance bylaw to the Planning and Development executive committee for recommendation;
•referred a request from the Fort Frances Community Garden Planning Committee (FFCGPC) re: community garden to the Planning and Development executive committee for recommendation;
•passed a bylaw to approve an amending agreement for provision of continuous safety services with the Electrical Safety Authority; and
•passed a bylaw to approve an agreement for a comprehensive telecommunications review with Telcom Enterprises.