The MLA for La Verendrye says residents of Piney are outraged by the closure of their community well.
Konrad Narth says a year ago the community well in Woodridge was closed and now the same thing has happened in Piney. And, he says the move came without public consultation.
Narth says this is a concerning trend under the direction of the Department of Environment and the local Office of Drinking Water. He notes the closures are happening because of the interpretation of a policy that has not impacted anyone for decades. It is now being enforced in a way that is limiting reliable water sources for communities across the region.
According to Narth, an existing policy states that if a water source is used for public consumption, it needs to have a chlorination system installed. He explains that bulk-fill stations in Woodridge and Piney are intended to be used for bulk-fill only. There are signs showing that the water is not for human consumption.
"Some folks may choose to use it as that, others may not," says Narth. "It's signed and suggested that no one uses it for human consumption without boiling."
Having said that, Narth notes that the natural artesian spring in Piney produces some of the best water in the entire world. However, because it is not a controlled site, it is not advertised as a source of water for human consumption.
Narth says the Office of Drinking Water is saying that there is no way to control whether residents are using the water from the bulk-fill stations for drinking. And even though the well water is tested regularly and proves to be a safe and pure source, there is no way of knowing whether the storage tanks being used by residents are contaminated.
"Unfortunately, we can't really control what anyone does with anything, and I think it's poor justification for closing reliable water sources in communities that have many times limited sources of water," he adds.
Narth says for now, it means residents of Piney have to drive further to find a bulk-fill station. However, he says the belief is that our province will continue to shut down the dozen or so community wells in the southeast corner of the province.
Narth says what is ironic about these closures is that while municipalities throughout Manitoba are in a state of local emergency because of drought conditions, reliable water sources in southeastern Manitoba are being shut down.
He notes for the most part, these community wells were established in the 1970s during drought conditions across our province. The intent was to provide a reliable water source for communities at a time when residents did not otherwise have access to water.
"This provides water source for agriculture use, for spraying crops and watering livestock, providing water for gardens to grow produce, and for everything else that people may need," he says.
He notes that earlier this year, when wildfires roared through the RM of Piney, the community well in Woodridge was padlocked, and crews had to fill up water at the Piney fire hall or miles away in Marchand, instead of using the bulk-fill station in Woodridge.
According to Narth, there was no advance notice given for shutting down the Piney community well. He notes that people rely on accessing the water, and there was no advance signage, and no notice given to the RM or the public ahead of time.
"People are very upset," he says. "Rightfully so."
Narth says he is now attempting to prove the importance of this well to the Department of Environment as well as the Department of Agriculture.
"I've had some good conversations with the Department of Agriculture, they see the importance of it," he says. "They were unaware of this happening by the Department of Environment, so unfortunately, it showcases a government disconnect between departments."
However, he notes the Department of Environment has been holding strong on its ruling. Narth now has a legislative-approved petition that will be distributed through his communities.
"I think it's important that we come together and show the province that this is something that makes sense," he says. "It isn't harmful, the risk to the public is extremely low if not non-existent, and we don't want to lose services in southeast Manitoba."