Menu

replacement

Fire Hydrant

Fire hydrant replacement to disrupt water service in Port Hood

, ,

Residents and motorists in Port Hood are being advised to prepare for temporary disruptions as the Municipality of the County of Inverness replaces a fire hydrant on Main Street early next week.

Contractors and municipal staff are scheduled to begin the work on Monday, August 10, with water service expected to be shut off beginning at approximately 8 a.m.

The interruption will affect municipal water customers located between 105 Main Street and the intersection of High Road.

The Municipality expects water service to be restored by approximately 5 p.m., although officials note the project could extend into Tuesday if crews require additional time to complete the work.

An update on the status of the project is expected to be provided on Monday.

In addition to the temporary water shutdown, residents can also expect changes to traffic and pedestrian access while construction is underway.

Traffic control personnel will be on site throughout the day to direct vehicles safely through the area, while access to the sidewalk near the work zone will be limited. Pedestrians are being asked to avoid the construction area for their own safety.

Municipal officials say the hydrant replacement is necessary to maintain the community’s water infrastructure and fire protection system.

The Municipality is apologizing for the inconvenience and thanking residents and motorists for their patience while the work is completed.

Mackay Bridge

NDP worries MacKay bridge replacement delayed with new tender

, , , ,

The government has officially taken the first step to create a plan to replace part of the aging MacKay Bridge, but the opposition is worried this is a sign of a delay.

They put out a tender last week for companies to bid on conducting a rehab study, which will show the government how to maintain the approach spans. That is the part of the road from the land to the first section of the bridge held up by the supports in the water.

The successful bid will create a plan to preserve the approach spans in the medium-term, about 20 years, and how it should be replaced or rehabilitated in the long-term, about 75 years, according to the tender document.

The bridge opened in 1970, and according to multiple reports, it must be repaired or replaced by 2040.

“The approaches are just as important from a safety perspective as the bridge. It is standard engineering practice to do this kind of evaluation for the medium and long-term,” wrote a spokesperson for Link Nova Scotia and Halifax Harbour Bridges.

This is only a part of the government’s approach to that necessary replacement, but on the way, they say the MacKay Bridge will continue “to be evaluated and maintained to ensure safety.”

Meanwhile, NDP leader Claudia Chender says this tender raises questions of whether the government is “delaying their decision on replacing the bridge.”

“The decisions we make about the MacKay Bridge today will shape how people move around our city for generations,” wrote Chender in a statement.

She adds, “This is one of the biggest infrastructure projects facing our province, and we need a plan that works to improve traffic congestion and support better public transportation.”

woman in black tank top drinking water

Group says Ontario municipalities need to get lead out of drinking water

, , , , , , ,

An environmental group is calling on Ontario municipalities to take action to remove toxic lead pipes from drinking water systems.

The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) issued a report today, outlining the dangers associated with partial lead lines in the province.

Since 2007, Ontario municipalities have been required to monitor and reduce lead levels but 26 of them still exceeded the provincial limit in tests.

The report outlines that the best way to reduce lead in municipal water is to remove lead service lines (LSLs).

It notes that although many municipal lead reduction plans feature removal as one of multiple mitigation measures, the vast majority of Ontario municipalities are choosing to make it voluntary for a property owner to replace the LSL on their side of the property line, in which dangerous lead infrastructure can often remain in place.

As a result, CELA is calling on municipalities in Ontario to pass a by-law that prohibits partial LSL replacements and specifies an equity-informed financial support structure for the costs associated with replacement.

“We’re not saying everyone has to drop the money to replace their lead service line right now out of their own pocket,” says community outreach worker Julie Mutis. “This is a public health issue and there should be support to ensure that people who are not in a financial position to do that are adequately supported, especially in places like Thunder Bay and up north where costs can be a little bit higher.”

CELA also wants municipalities to address the harm caused by past partial replacements and set clear policy objectives for eliminating all lead drinking infrastructure.

The report notes that Hamilton is the only Ontario municipality known to have a by-law and policies associated with preventing partial LSL replacements.

“Everyone’s water systems are different and so everyone needs to find a different solution that works for them,” says Mutis. “But the bottom line from this report is that when we are removing lead, we should be moving all of it because there is no safe amount of lead.”

Founded in 1970, CELA is a legal aid clinic dedicated to environmental equity, justice, and health and one of the oldest advocates for environmental protection in the country.