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More than water boiling in Norland Trustees can't get answers from City The Norland Waterworks Association has been in existence for 80 years as a member-owned co-op. It is an asset worth approximately a quarter of a million dollars. After Walkerton, the provincial government ordered municipalities to assume responsibility for this and other small private water systems. On March 11th the CoKL met with the Association and asked for a key to the plant in order to begin operation of the system. The Association complied. It should be noted that the members of the Association still own the facility. It has a board of trustees who are responsible to its members. According to trustee Vern LeCraw the first boil water advisories started shortly after the City assumed operations and have been in effect for most of the time since. The longest boil order resulted from turbidity and filter installations. This order was lifted on June 24th. On June 25th another order was imposed. Mr. LeCraw, drove to Lindsay to find out the reason for the order. He couldn't get an answer but left with a promise that it would be looked into. He also asked for the explanation to be in writing. One month elapsed without the promised explanation, so the Association sent a registered letter to the Health Unit on July 31st, again asking for an explanation. As of August 16th the boil water order has been in effect for 7 weeks without explanation. The Norland Waterworks Association are understandably upset. An association which has been in existence for 80 years delivering potable water to its members, now finds itself at the mercy of a system which can issue orders but not explanations. The Association deserves better.‡ Reprinted from The Red Rock Eye Opener |