Dry wells costly challenge for Ward 5

MARATHON VILLAGE – It’s been a long, dry summer in West Carleton, and while fall is here, many residents are still battling dry wells and no water in the community.

While the weather has cooled, dry weather in the Ottawa Valley persists. It’s been a summer of low water warnings from the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) and very little rain.

From May 1 to Aug. 8, Ottawa received the same paltry rainfall it did in the drought year of 2012. In those 100 days, there was 174.5 millimetres of rain, compared to 175 millimetres for the same period 13 years ago.

There was only 31.5 mm of rain in all of September.

A record-breaking 58.6 millimetres fell on Oct. 7, but summer and fall has been so dry, that wasn’t nearly enough to end the drought. Much of that rain simply ran off the concrete-like ground quickly finding its way to area waterways.

Ward 5 Coun. Clarke Kelly said he received a call on Sept. 9 from a Kinburn-area resident whose well had run dry.

“There’s a chance there may be others who are or may soon find themselves in the same situation,” Kelly released in a statement Sept. 9.

Today is Oct. 15, and according to Marathon Village’s Shelley Welsh there are several residents just in her village alone that have empty wells, and it’s been that way for several months.

“For nearly two months, about seven weeks, my household has been relying on daily water deliveries, sometimes twice a day,” Welsh told West Carleton Online today (Oct. 15). “Just this week alone, over 10,000 gallons of water were delivered to my property within two days. While I hope some of that excess helps replenish the local aquifer, my well continues to dry up faster than most in the area.”

Welsh says she has followed the MVCA’s constant advice to conserve water, but with a full household there is still a need.

“Despite having a large household, we’re being extremely cautious,” she said. “We’re limiting laundry to essentials; taking very short showers; and conserving every drop we can. Even so, we often find ourselves completely out of water. The water spurts and sputters out of the tap regularly so we have to shut the pump off so as to not burn it out. This has been especially difficult during harvest and canning season, and with a toddler in the home, the situation is increasingly stressful.”

In Marathon Village, Welsh’s story is sounding familiar.

“It appears we are out of water,” resident Sarah Beazley wrote in a social media post yesterday (Oct. 14). “In the 35 years Grant has been here, not once has the well gone dry. Anyone else on the loop without water?”

Her question received lots of feedback.

Fran Ryan said her “pipes sputtered a few weeks ago.”

The family has water, “but it’s extra low and we’re very careful,” while using a camping jug to fill up for water for the dishes and heading to the city to do laundry.

A few residents say they have gone dry twice in the last month. Evan Malamud says they have been without water for a couple of weeks.

David Farmer reports “Kinburn village is full of empty shallow wells also.”

The Marathon Village Facebook page has been taken over on the issue of low water the last couple of weeks.

According to the City of Ottawa, wells are the sole responsibility of the property owner. The City of Ottawa, like other municipalities, does not regulate private wells or enforce water restrictions on private well users. Almost everyone in West Carleton relies on a private well for their water.

“Residents are advised to use their well water cautiously to ensure they can securely access enough water for their household and as an act of goodwill to protect their neighbours’ wells,” city staff said.

Welsh feels extremely dry conditions should attract a similar level of response from the City of Ottawa high water conditions do for those who choose to live by the city’s waterways.

“My question to Coun. Clarke Kelly is simple,” Welsh said. “During floods, emergency measures are put in place to ensure residents have access to clean drinking water. Why is a similar response not being considered now? This is a genuine emergency. Clean, safe water is a basic necessity.”

When Welsh’s well does have water in it this summer, it’s not useable.

“Right now, our well water is so dirty and cloudy that it’s unsafe for drinking or cooking,” she said. “Buying bottled water quickly becomes unaffordable, especially for families without a steady income. Establishing free community water stations across West Carleton, accessible with local identification, would make a tremendous difference. Residents could fill jugs for drinking and cooking, and larger containers for washing and bathing. Beyond that, the city could consider partnering with local laundromats to provide free or subsidized laundry services for affected residents and identify locations where people can access showers. Many families in Marathon and throughout West Carleton are facing the same water/financial hardship. These practical steps could provide immediate relief while longer-term solutions are explored as we head in to the winter months.”