A Kindersley resident says the constant hum of aerator fountains at the Motherwell Reservoir is making life unbearable for people living nearby.
Speaking at the August 11 town council meeting, Garth Hoffman told councillors the mechanical pumps, installed to improve water quality at the newly developed beach, run 24 hours a day, producing “endless” and “ceaseless” noise that he says invades homes, prevents sleep, and drives residents indoors.
“It’s brutal,” Hoffman said. “You open the door or a window and it’s in your face … it should not be in a residential area.”
Mayor Ken Francis and councillors said the aerators are needed to keep the reservoir’s water clean and safe for fish and beach users. They acknowledged the noise concerns and said the town has already experimented with timers to reduce operation hours, but shutting the equipment down entirely led to a decline in water quality.
“We’re trying to find a spot where it can be a coexisting thing,” Perkins told Hoffman. “We’re looking at chemical treatments and other options, but everything comes with a cost.”
Hoffman argued the pumps violate the town’s own noise bylaw and suggested replacing them with quieter fountains or limiting operations to daytime hours.
“We’re not turning a blind eye,” Francis said. “We just need to balance residents’ concerns with the need to protect this community asset.”