Information regarding well water in Richmond
On August 1st, CTV News Ottawa published a story regarding the status of damaged wells on Royal York Street in Richmond. The story contained incorrect information which City staff have addressed in the following statement:
“The City is aware of concerns raised regarding some residents’ private wells in the Richmond area. After investigating, the City has found that these concerns are unrelated to its sewer system or nearby capital work. Private wells in Ontario fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP), and the responsibility of their maintenance and upkeep lies with the property owners. The MECP has investigated these wells and identified significant defects and deficiencies. It is recommended that residents address these issues to ensure safe drinking water. It is expected that once residents’ wells are repaired, upgraded, and maintained to current standards, the water quality concerns will be resolved.
The health and well-being of residents is a top priority for the City. Staff are working closely with the MECP to identify and address sources of contamination in the Richmond area. No concerns were identified by the MECP with respect to City activities in the area. The City has offered affected residents third-party investigations into their private water systems to help resolve their well water concerns. After a recent meeting on July 31, one resident has agreed to participate in a third-party inspection and staff are available to help other residents identify the source and find solutions to their water quality concerns.
Below are a few actions the City has taken to address the concerns in the Richmond area:
· Wastewater Collection Leak Testing:
o Regular closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspections are conducted on sanitary pipes to ensure there are no leaks or exfiltration. Additional inspections were carried out in response to residents’ concerns with no issues found.
· Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA):
o SCADA systems are used to detect forcemain leaks through pressure tracking, and no pressure alarms were received.
· Ottawa Public Health (OPH):
o OPH provided information to residents about well water testing results, confirming no fecal contamination. OPH continues to encourage private well owners to test their water seasonally, and inspect their well annually to ensure the continued safety of their private water systems. More information is available on their webpage.
· Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP):
o The City collaborated with MECP to assess groundwater risks, and no concerns related to the City of Ottawa activity were identified. MECP inspected private wells in the vicinity, revealing regulatory deficiencies that property owners are responsible for correcting.”
- Attributed to Matt Knight, Manager, Design & Construction - Facilities