MORRISBURG – The water supply challenges in North Dundas are well known. Increased demand due to residential and industrial growth have placed strains on that municipality’s water system. One long-term solution to this problem is to connect to the water system in South Dundas. In that, North Dundas has a willing partner.
South Dundas council supported entering into discussions with North Dundas on a north-south water link in June, but information discussions began just after the 2022 municipal election.
“We met and discussed concerns,” said South Dundas Mayor Jason Broad, who met with North Dundas Mayor Tony Fraser, and the two municipality’s Chief Administrative Officers. “We had no idea what the water demand supply was.”
Since then, South Dundas commissioned a study on the current water and wastewater system in the municipality. Some numbers from that have already been reported at council. A final report is expected soon. The cooperation bylaw was the next logical step.
“Recognizing these kind of studies span over many years, we are preparing our side of it,” said CAO Ben deHaan. He explained that North Dundas was doing the same, and once completed the two reports would be put together.
Supply for any north-south link is not a problem. South Dundas opened its regional water plant in June 2006. That plant was designed to include capacity for the Caldwell Linen Mill in Iroquois. Before the water plant went online, Caldwell permanently closed, meaning the South Dundas plant as excess supply capacity.
“We have the ability to draw double what we draw today,” said Broad. “Our plant could be four times the volume.”
Denis Villeneuve, manager of water and wastewater for South Dundas explained that the current plant is robust and only needs improvements to the pumps and associated equipment to support the South Dundas’s current users – and planned growth in the municipality, and supply Winchester and Chesterville in North Dundas.
South Dundas currently uses 4,608 cubic feet of water. The recently announced connection to St. Lawrence Park Commission’s Riverside Cedar Campground, and the Upper Canada Village facilities will only add 300 cf to the system. The current system has a capacity of 9,000 cf.
Broad said connecting the water system in all directions is important, starting with the UCV connection.
“The next logical piece is north,” he said. There’s lots of South Dundas residents along County Road 31 who could be connected. That would be really great”
Any north-south water line constructed would likely be run along the CR31 corridor, passing through Glen Becker, Williamsburg, and Winchester Springs, all in South Dundas. That does not mean that residents will have to connect to municipal water if it becomes available.
deHaan said if that happens, a survey would be taken of local residents and if there was interest, users could request to connect.
The water connection between South and North Dundas would be double the length of the current water line between Morrisburg and Iroquois. There are no cost estimates available for that connection.
South Stormont is upgrading its water plant in Long Sault, which is of a similar design and construction age as South Dundas’s. That upgrade will expand South Stormont’s water output to 14,000 cf and cost about $7 million. The provincial government is paying 73 per cent of the cost as part of a larger $21.9 million upgrade to water and wastewater systems announced in September 2024. Broad said other governments, not South Dundas, will have to fund any water link to North Dundas.
“Our number one priority is the residents in South Dundas. Our partners in North Dundas and SDG Counties are very important as well. This needs to provincially funded, and North Dundas funded.”
Broad added that North Dundas funding could take the place of its current plan of drilling wells.
Getting to the point of constructing a link will take time. Broad said that it took six years to get from discussions to funding for a St. Lawrence Parks Commission water link. As a north-south link covers drinking water, “we’re talking applications that are a higher priority.”
In a statement November 7 relating to water supply issues discussed at the October 22 North Dundas council meeting, North Dundas Township said it has applied for multiple provincial programs not related to a north-south connection to the St. Lawrence River. Those applications were for expanding or improving the current water supply system already within North Dundas.
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